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Being treated like monkey in a zoo at Tihar, says AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel

Christian Michel, middleman in AgustaWestland chopper scam, tells judge he has been moved from cell housing white-collar crime accused to one housing terror suspects.

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New Delhi: The alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland scam, Christian Michel, has written to the Special CBI court judge alleging that he is being treated like a “monkey in the zoo” inside Tihar Jail.

In his letter, Michel has claimed that he has been shifted from Jail Number 7, where he was lodged with other white-collar crime suspects, to Jail Number 1 that he now allegedly shares with 27 terror suspects.

The suspects from Kashmir were reportedly moved to Jail Number 1 for their protection because of the tension between India and Pakistan after the 14 February Pulwama attack.

“He asked the judge to be kept with other suspects of white-collar crimes who are allowed to use the library, canteen and move around,” Michel’s counsel M.S. Vishnu Shankar said. “Why has he been lodged like he is a convict?”

Michel’s counsels, Shankar and Aljo K. Joseph, have also made a submission in the court for him to be moved back to Jail Number 7.

“He is not allowed to go out to the open area. He is kept inside the cell for over 23 hours and is taken out only for an hour in the day,” Shankar said. “He is lodged in one of the five compartments inside ward number 6 in Jail Number 1, while the other four are empty.”

The jail superintendent in his report to the court, however, said that Michel has been kept in Jail Number 6, which is a high-risk ward, and that no Kashmiri or Pakistani inmates are lodged with him.

A deputy jail superintendent also told the court that Michel was being accorded all facilities and also submitted CCTV footage showing him enjoying the facilities allowed to other such prisoners.


Also read: ED probes fraud worth crores but doesn’t even have a jail cell to house its accused


Was threatened by Asthana, Michel tells the court

Michel also told the judge that when he was in jail in Dubai, he was threatened by then CBI special director Rakesh Asthana to name “some people” or face the consequences.

“Michel has stated that he was threatened by Asthana in Dubai and was asked to take some names or else he will have a tough time inside the jail. Michel told the judge that whatever is happening inside Tihar is because he refused to succumb to the CBI pressure,” Shankar said.

“He told the judge he is being treated like a monkey in the zoo, where he is fed from behind the bars, and when he asks for water, they just push a glass through the bars.”

The court has now asked authorities at Tihar to submit CCTV footage of the last five days from Jail Number 1.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), meanwhile, Tuesday requested time from the court to further interrogate Michel. It was granted two days — Wednesday and Thursday — but only between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm and then 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to question him.

The court has also allowed both of Michel’s counsels to be present with him for half an hour while the interrogation is on.


Also read: Christian Michel moved to solitary confinement in Tihar after IB input on ‘threat to life’


 

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