AgustaWestland deal accused Christian Michel extradited from Dubai last week will remain in custody of the CBI for five more days, a Delhi court ordered on Monday after the CBI asked for nine days custody.
Michel can continue to meet his lawyer twice every day but the meetings will have to shorter. The court, which also heard a request from the CBI to end the daily meetings between Michel and his lawyer, said these meetings could last 30 minutes, not an hour allowed earlier.
The CBI had complained that the lawyer had been tutoring Michel and the twice-a -day schedule broke the rhythm of the interrogation.
Producing Michel before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar after the expiry of his five-day remand, the agency sought nine days custody, contending he was not cooperating and being evasive.
However, the court only allowed five days custody, even as Michel’s lawyer Aljo Joseph argued that no custody was required and it was “just torture”.
The CBI counsel said that some key things have been identified, “some correspondence which has opened a Pandora box for us” and they required his custody to confront him with the documents, while three days confrontation is required with the witnesses.
The agency also alleged that Michel is being tutored by his counsel and sought their meeting should only be allowed once a day.
However, Joseph objected to the allegation, saying he always talked to Michel in front of a CBI officer. He also sought permission for Italian lawyer Rosemary Patrizi to meet him.
The CBI objected, saying she is a foreign national and can’t be allowed as she is making controversial statements in press and elsewhere. It said that whatever documents she wants to provide Michel can be given to Aljo, who can hand over the same to Michel during his meeting.
The next hearing will take place on December 15.
First Published: Dec 10, 2018 17:05 IST
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