Tihar authorities reject AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel’s claims of being lodged with a high-risk prisoner. Jail officials confirm he was never kept with any such inmate and found no threat to his life.
New Delhi: In a significant development related to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, Tihar Jail authorities on Thursday rejected allegations made by Christian Michel James, one of the key accused in the case. James had earlier claimed that he was being kept in the same jail cell with a prisoner having a “checkered record,” raising serious concerns about his safety.
However, Tihar Jail officials clarified before the court of Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal that these allegations were not true. They stated that James and the other prisoner in question, Sehnawaz, who reportedly had been punished 41 times for breaking jail rules, “were never lodged together in a single cell.”
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According to the jail authorities,
“Prisoners are lodged in barracks or cells as per the security assessment and availability of space. Nothing adverse has been reported by accused James during his lodgment in jail 1 or in jail 4 where he is presently lodged.”
James had raised concerns about his safety through an e-mail sent by the British High Commission in August 2019, in which he claimed there was a threat to his life inside the prison. He specifically mentioned that certain ISIS elements in Tihar, particularly a “Muslim prisoner” in his ward, had been “tasked to kill him.”
Responding to these grave allegations, the jail authorities launched an inquiry.
“A detailed inquiry was undertaken pursuant to the said e-mail… in which it was concluded that there was no life threat to James from any of the inmates in Tihar Jail 1 and that he had never even perceived such a threat,”
They stated that the court has now directed the jail authorities to provide a copy of the inquiry report to James’ lawyer. After this, the matter has been listed for the next hearing on May 22.
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Earlier, on April 16, the court had expressed displeasure with the jail officials for failing to provide James with a table fan despite its earlier order.
The judge remarked sharply,
“Even in zoological parks, exotic animals were provided air conditioning.”
It is important to note that the Supreme Court had granted bail to Christian Michel James in the CBI case on February 18, subject to the conditions set by the trial court. Later, on March 4, the Delhi High Court also granted him bail in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, directing that necessary bail conditions be imposed.
Interestingly, on March 7, instead of availing his bail, James expressed his willingness to “finish his sentence” and leave India, citing “security risks” inside the jail.
Further raising alarm, on April 3, James appeared in court claiming that there were “attempts made to poison him” while in custody.
James, a British national, was extradited to India from Dubai on December 4, 2018, after spending four months in detention there.
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He is one of the three alleged middlemen accused in the controversial AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam. The case pertains to irregularities in the 2010 deal for the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from Italian defence manufacturing company AgustaWestland. The other two middlemen in the case are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
According to the CBI chargesheet, the deal caused an estimated loss of €398.21 million to the Indian government. The contract for the helicopters was worth €556.262 million and was signed on February 8, 2010.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also filed a separate chargesheet against James in June 2016, alleging that he had received €30 million from AgustaWestland as part of the scam.
This case continues to draw attention due to its international implications, high-profile accused, and serious allegations regarding the safety and treatment of prisoners under Indian custody.
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