Overview

• On August 7, a Rouse Avenue Court under Special Judge Sanjay Jindal declined Christian Michel’s application for release under Section 436A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
• The judge held that allegations under IPC Section 467, which carries the possibility of life imprisonment, render him ineligible for bail capped by statutory limits.
• Michel remains lodged in Tihar Jail pending submission of bail bonds and renewal of his passport despite earlier bail grants by the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court.
• Extradited from Dubai in December 2018, the British consultant is accused by the CBI of facilitating a €398.21 million loss to the exchequer and by the ED of receiving €30 million in kickbacks in the 2010 AgustaWestland helicopter deal.
• His prolonged detention highlights ongoing judicial battles over statutory bail provisions, custodial delays and interpretations of India’s extradition treaty with the UAE.