Extradited from Dubai as quid pro quo for Sheikha Latifa: Christian Michel in HC

Alleged middleman Christian Michel has accused the Centre of getting his custody by handing over Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum who fled the UAE, in a ‘quid pro quo’ deal. In a bail affidavit in the Delhi high court earlier this month, Michel, an accused in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper case, sought his early release.

Michel, extradited from Dubai in December 2018, has been behind bars for over 30 months. It is the first time that he has made the’ quid pro quo’ accusation in an affidavit in court. The Central Bureau of Investigation is yet to file its response, but a senior government official, on condition of anonymity, termed the accusation as a “ploy to create sensation.”

Michel said the issue was investigated by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD). “The fact findings by the UNWGAD are very important which led to even commission of serious human rights violations,” the affidavit, filed earlier this month, alleged. The HC is awaiting CBI’s response.