Christian James Michel secured bail after a six-year detention in India, accused of bribery in a helicopter deal.
Michel arrived from Dubai in 2018. He asked for bail many times since then. The Supreme Court finally said yes on Tuesday. This happened after a lower court denied it.
The Supreme Court mentioned the trial delay as a big reason. They worried the trial was moving too slowly. One judge even said it could take 25 years.
The court considered the circumstances. Michel was extradited in 2018. He has been in custody for over six years. The CBI filed chargesheets already. They granted bail with conditions.
The CBI thinks Michel bribed Indian officials. They say this secured a chopper deal in 2010. The deal was for Agusta helicopters. Michel says he did not do it.
The deal happened in 2010. Helicopters aimed to transport VIPs. It cost about £360 million.
The CBI claims India lost £338.48 million due to illegal actions. The ED also filed charges. They say Michel got £25.5 million from AgustaWestland.
Michel says his arrest was political. He said people pushed him before. They wanted him to testify against opposition leaders. He alleges officials offered him a deal. Turn on Congress leaders, avoid prison, they said.
The CBI charged Michel. He was one of three middlemen. The AgustaWestland deal involved others. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa were also accused.