Supreme Court rejects plea by Christian Michel against condition to provide local address for release on bail

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea by British national Christian Michel seeking to do away with the condition to provide a local address to be released on bail in the money laundering case connected to AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. .A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PV Sanjay Kumar said that Court granted bail to Michel subject to conditions and the same have to be fulfilled."If you have to stay in this country, you must make some arrangements. Somebody must be giving you instructions. If you have permanent address in Tihar, then stay there only. We gave you bail, you don't want to fulfill the condition of providing local address," the top court said.The Court also rejected Michel's plea against the Delhi High Court's direction to the British High Commission to submit Michel's new passport to the trial court instead of giving it to Michel..Christian Michel was granted bail by the High Court in March 2025 but remained in custody due to non-compliance with the bail conditions.The Delhi High Court then modified his bail conditions, paving the way for his release from jail in the money laundering case related to the alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case.The High Court said that instead of furnishing a person bond and surety bond of ₹5 lakh each, Michel could furnish a personal bond of ₹5 lakh and a cash surety of ₹10 lakh.Michel’s release from jail was delayed because his British passport, which the court had earlier asked him to submit, expired. He also told the court that he doesn’t have a permanent home anymore, as his family house in London was sold while he was in custody.But the Delhi High Court stepped in. It acknowledged that Michel had been in jail for a long time and agreed that he could be granted regular bail even without handing over his passport right away.However, the High Court ruled that once a new passport is issued, the British High Commission in Delhi must send it directly to the trial court instead of giving it to Michel.Aggrieved by order, Michel challenged this before the Supreme Court. He argued that the High Court had overstepped its authority by issuing instructions to the British High Commission, which is part of a foreign government. According to him, Indian courts cannot give binding directions to a sovereign foreign body, and such orders have no legal force.He also challenged the condition to provide local address. But the top court rejected the plea today..Michel is accused of having played the role of a middleman to enable helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland secure a contract from the then-Congress-led Indian government for the sale of helicopters for VVIP transport.He allegedly entered into as many as twelve contracts with AgustaWestland to legitimise illicit commissions or kickbacks amounting to €42.27 million received on the procurement of VVIP helicopters by the government of India.According to the CBI, bribes estimated at around US$33 million were transferred through bank accounts in the UK and UAE..Michel was extradited to India in December 2018 and then arrested by the ED. He has remained in jail since then without trial for six years. Michel was granted bail by the Supreme Court on February 18 in the CBI case connected to the scam.On March 4 this year, the Delhi High Court granted him bail in ED case..Advocates Aljo Joseph, Sriram Parakkat and MS Vishnu Shankar appeared for Michel..[Read live coverage]