New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with Delhi High Court order directing Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case, to furnish details of the address where he intended to stay post-release on bail.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar also rejected the submissions made by James against the di9rection of the High Court to the British High Commission to submit his new passport to the trial court instead of giving it to him.
The bench, while dismissing the plea filed by James challenging the May 22 High Court order, said if he has to stay in this country, he must make arrangements.
“We granted you bail and you don’t even want to fulfil a condition of providing a local address,” the bench told the lawyer appearing for James.
High Court relaxed bail conditions of James
The High Court, in its order dated May 22, relaxed the bail conditions earlier imposed on him while granting him bail in the money laundering case, taking into consideration the overall facts and circumstances of the case, including his prolonged incarceration, his status as a foreign national with no roots in India and his inability to arrange for a surety locally.
Instead of the requirement to furnish a personal bond and surety bond of Rupees 5,00,000 each, the High Court directed James to furnish a personal bond of Rupees 5,00,000 along with a cash surety in the enhanced sum of Rupees 10,00,000.
High court also modified bail condition requiring James to surrender his passport
The high court also modified the bail condition requiring James to surrender his passport, which had already expired, before the trial court to the extent that he may be released on regular bail, without him depositing his passport immediately.
The High Court, however, directed that the FRRO shall ensure that James does not leave the country, and the British High Commission (or the concerned authority issuing his passport) shall ensure that the his fresh passport, whenever the same is ready, is not handed over to him, but directly deposited with the trial court under intimation to the High Court.
High Court granted bail to James in ED case on March 4
The High Court granted bail to James in the money laundering case on March 4 this year with conditions, which included furnishing a personal bond and surety in the sum of Rs 5 lakh each and on surrendering his passport before the trial court. He later moved the High Court seeking modifications of bail conditions – furnishing a surety of Rs 5 lakh and surrendering his passport.
Supreme Court earlier granted James bail in CBI case
The Supreme Court earlier granted James bail in a case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), noting that he was in custody in the case registered by the CBI for the last six years and the investigation into the matter is still underway.
James, a British national, was extradited from Dubai in 2018
James, a British national, was extradited from Dubai in December, 2018 and was subsequently arrested in the alleged Rs 3,600-crore scam involving the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing company AgustaWestland.
