AgustaWestland case: Delhi court issues bailable warrants against Tihar Jail superintendent

A Delhi court on Thursday issued bailable warrants against a Tihar Jail superintendent for not responding to the plea of jailed middleman Christian Michel James in AgustaWestland case. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal summoned the official on May 29 to explain the reason behind the non-compliance.

The order came on James' plea asking for a re-look at the findings of an inquiry report dated August 29, 2019 over the security arrangements for him in jail.

The report, he claimed, said there was "no life threat" to him from any inmate "in Tihar Jail no 1" and he never "perceived such a threat".


The jail authorities made the submissions while refuting his allegations of being kept with a "desperate accused" inside the prison, who had 41 complaints against him for his conduct in jail.

The judge noted that notice was issued to the superintendent jail concerned through DG (prisons), "but despite awaiting till 11.15 am, no report came from the jail authorities.

"In these circumstances, issue bailable warrants in the sum of Rs 5,000 against the superintendent jail no. 4, Tihar, New Delhi, through DG (Prisons), Tihar with the directions to positively file reply to the application moved by the accused Christian Michel James dated April 30, 2025, without fail within two days time from the receipt of this order with directions to appear in person on the next date of hearing, i.e., May 29, 2025 at around 2 pm regarding his explanation for non filing of the report today," the order read.

The Supreme Court on February 18 granted bail to James in the CBI case subject to the trial court's conditions and the Delhi High Court on March 4 gave him the relief in the ED case and said necessary bail riders be imposed on him.

British national James, however, on March 7 offered to "finish his sentence" and leave India instead of walking out on bail owing to "security risks".

James was extradited on December 4, 2018 from Dubai, where he spent four months in custody.

Probe agencies had reported irregularities in the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from Italian manufacturing company AgustaWestland.

He is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case and the other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The CBI, in its chargesheet, alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

The ED chargesheet filed against James in June 2016 alleged he received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.