New Delhi, Nov 20, : .Christian Michel, an alleged AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal middleman has sent a letter to Boris Johnson in which he threatened to strike a hunger strike.Michel wrote a nine-page letter stating that he would start his hunger strike November 25, unless the UK takes any action.
In a letter dated October 5, 2021, he stated that he had been brought from Dubai to India under the now accepted rendition.
This was also confirmed by UN Human Rights Council.
Michel, a United Arab Emirates national, was extradited from Dubai to India on December 5, 2018.
He was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), and then, days later, by the Enforcement Directorate, the Financial Probe Agency.
He has since been in Tihar Jail’s judicial custody.
Michel applied for bail recently in relation to the CBI-ED cases against him.The ED claimed that Michel’s detention had been arbitrary and that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD).
After India failed to implement the March WGAD recommendation that Michel be released immediately, his lawyers stated that they would petition UN for further action.
Indian courts rejected Michel’s bail petition on several occasions.
On September 19 last year, the CBI filed a supplementary charge sheet against 15 accused, including Michel and accused-turned-approver Rajiv Saxena, in connection with the alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
On September 1, 2017, the CBI filed an indictment against S.P., then chief of IAF.Tyagi, and eleven other defendants.
India ended its contract with Finmeccanica’s British affiliate AgustaWestland on January 1, 2014.
The IAF received 12 AW101 VVIP choppers from Finmeccanica.India was accused of breaching contractual obligations as well as of receiving kickbacks totalling to Rs 423 Crore.
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