AgustaWestland: Court reserves order on Christian Michel’s plea seeking release in CBI case

A Delhi court on Monday, December 22, 2025, reserved its verdict on the plea filed by Christian James Michel, seeking release from judicial custody in a CBI case related to the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam.

He was requested to be released on the grounds that he had already served a maximum prison sentence of seven years for the charges against him.

Special CBI judge Sanjay Jindal of Rouse Avenue Court reserved the order, which is likely to be delivered on Tuesday, December 23.

He was released from custody in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week in connection with the alleged fraud.

Michel, accused of being a ‘middleman’ in the plea deal, was extradited from Dubai in December 2018, following which the CBI arrested him and filed a criminal complaint.

According to the CBI’s case, the public exchequer is facing an estimated loss of Rs 2,666 crore due to the agreement signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP helicopters worth 556,262 million euros.

The AgustaWestland case centers on allegations of irregularities and kickbacks paid to former Ministry of Defense officials to sign a contract for 12 VVIP helicopters with the British-Italian firm.