Christian Michel Alleges He Was Threatened By CBI, Investigators Deny

The counsel of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, has alleged that his client was being threatened by the investigators of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"CBI officials threatened my client when they met him in London," Christian Michel's Counsel Alio K Joseph told a Delhi court on Tuesday.

Mr Joseph told the Patiala House Court that top officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) met Christian Michel, in London and said, “If you are coming to India and you do not make required confessions, you are going to have a tough time in jail. This is exactly what is happening."

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh, who appeared on behalf of the CBI, denied the allegations levelled by Christian Michel's counsel.

As the hearing proceeded, the Jail Superintendent who was summoned by the Special CBI Judge Arvind said Christian Michel was moved to a special cell for high-risk prisoners following the Pulwama terror attack.

The authorities submitted that shifting Christian Michel, who is a foreign inmate, would be appropriate as a temporary measure.

In February, Christian Michel had moved an application before the court seeking judicial inquiry over being shifted to a solitary cell in Tihar Jail and an apparent violation of human rights.

On March 2, he moved another application claiming that he was not given privacy to use the toilet. He had claimed that he was made to use open toilets and two guards accompanied him at all times

Replying to this claim, the Enforcement Directorate told the court, Christian Michel's allegations of attending to nature call in the open is false and an attempt to bring a bad name to the country.

"Allegations made in the complaint are mischievous and made to look down upon Indian jails and create a crisis which is not there. This is their third application citing inconvenience in the jail," CBI said in its reply to Christian Michel's plea.

The premier investigation agency also contended that it is being done to create a ground for other criminals who are abroad and about to come back. They want to make a ground for them.

“This is nothing but scandalising the court as there is no open defecation in Indian jails,” Mr Singh said on behalf of CBI while responding to Alio Joseph.

Christian Michel, who was extradited from the UAE in December last year, is currently in Tihar Jail in connection with the Central bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases against him related to the AgustaWestland deal.