The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, seeking his immediate release from custody. A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja ruled that there was “no merit” in the petition brought by the British national, who has been in Indian custody since his extradition from Dubai in late 2018.
In his plea, James launched a multi-pronged legal attack on his continued detention. He specifically challenged the validity of Article 17 of the 1999 India-UAE Extradition Treaty. This provision allows the requesting state (India) to prosecute an extradited individual not only for the specific offences listed in the extradition request but also for any “connected offences.”
James’ counsel contended that an extradited person should strictly be prosecuted only for the crimes for which the extradition was granted. Furthermore, the petition assailed a trial court order dated August 7, 2025, which had previously rejected his application for release under Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
A central argument in James’ petition was that he had completed seven years in jail as of December 4, 2025. He argued that this duration exceeded the maximum sentence possible for the specific offences for which he was extradited, making his continued incarceration “illegal.”
Despite these claims, the High Court bench remained unconvinced of the merits of his arguments. While James was granted bail in the CBI case in February 2025 and in the ED case in March 2025, he has remained behind bars due to his inability to fulfill the specific bail conditions set by the courts.
To secure his release, James was required to furnish personal bonds and cash sureties totaling ₹10 lakh for the CBI case and ₹15 lakh for the ED case. The High Court had previously clarified that he could be released without his expired passport but mandated that any new passport be deposited directly with the trial court. Additionally, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has been tasked with ensuring he does not leave the country.
The case involves alleged irregularities in the February 2010 deal for the supply of 12 VVIP choppers. The CBI alleges the deal resulted in a loss of approximately 398.21 million euros (around ₹2,666 crore) to the public exchequer. The ED’s investigation further alleges that James received 30 million euros (roughly ₹225 crore) from AgustaWestland to influence the contract.
James is one of three alleged middlemen identified in the probe, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
