UK: Until the matter is settled, we will keep bringing up the Christian Michel issue with Delhi

London: UK foreign office sources informed TOI that the UK government is still bringing up British citizen Christian Michel’s case in relation to the AgustaWestland helicopter fraud with India in order to “underline the importance of making progress for the government of India.”
One officer told TOI, “We will keep doing this until his case is resolved.”
Since his extradition from Dubai to India in December 2018, Michel has been held at Tihar prison.

He used to be an intermediary for an AgustaWestland business in the United Arab Emirates. He was charged with bribing Indian authorities in February 2010 to assist AgustaWestland in obtaining a contract for 12 helicopters valued at 556.2 million euros (about Rs 5,011 crore). In its June 2016 charge sheet, the ED claimed that Michel had earned EUR 30 million, or around Rs 270 crore, from AgustaWestland. India terminated the deal in 2013 due to accusations of corruption.
However, Michel maintains that his extradition from Dubai to India was justified since on March 4, 2018, India turned over Princess Latifa, the ruler of Dubai’s daughter, to the Dubai authorities.
At the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 9, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last brought up Michel’s situation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The UK minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, has been bringing up Michel’s situation with his Indian colleagues on a regular basis. On February 22, he brought it up with home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
Visiting Michel in custody on a regular basis, consular personnel from the British High Commission in Delhi informed TOI that the last visit was on March 27. Michel’s family is in communication with Foreign Office officials; they were last seen on November 30, 2023.
Michel said that going on a hunger strike at Tihar Jail in 2021 was his sole means of having his views heard. The Supreme Court turned down his bail request last week.
“We continue to provide consular assistance to Mr. Michel and his family,” a UK government spokeswoman told TOI.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said on November 27, 2020, that Michel was being held without legal basis by India and demanded his release by May 27, 2021. However, India said at the time that the opinion was not enforceable.