‘Flight risk’: ED opposes AugustaWestland case accused Christian Michel’s bail plea
India Today
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a counter affidavit before the Supreme Court opposing the grant of bail to AugustaWestland case accused Christian Michel James.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a counter affidavit before the Supreme Court opposing the grant of bail to AugustaWestland case accused Christian Michel James saying that he is a flight risk and his extradition had been obtained with extreme difficulties and procedural impediments.
The affidavit has been filed against Michel’s appeal challenging Delhi High Court's order dismissing his bail pleas.
The ED has said that during custodial interrogation, Christian James Michel tried to pass confidential papers to his counsel at the time of legal access.
According to the ED, Michel not being a citizen of India is a flight risk and his extradition has been obtained with extreme difficulties and procedural impediments. The Enforcement Directorate apprehends that if he is enlarged on bail, he might flee to avoid the investigation.
“Michel has committed a grave economic offence of huge magnitude and has thereafter laundered the proceeds of crime,” as per the ED.
It added that it is settled law that economic offences constitute a class apart and need to be visited with a different approach in the matter of bail.
“The classification of economic offences in a different class itself is a clear jurisprudential recognition of the gravity of the offence being judicially recognised as an extremely relevant factor while considering matters regarding bail. The categorisation of any offence as an "economic offence" is an exercise which depicts the gravity of such an offence,” ED noted.
