New Delhi: Alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal Christian James Michel was extradited to India in an operation under the guidance of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the CBI said Tuesday.
Michel touched down in Delhi late on Tuesday night.
A team of the agency's officers led by Joint Director Sai Manohar was in Dubai to bring him back, it said.
The UAE government had cleared the extradition of 57-year-old Michel after his appeal against the move was turned down by a court there.
His involvement in the chopper deal allegedly surfaced in 2012 as middlemen for swinging the deal in favour of AgustaWestland and making illegal payment of commission/kickbacks to the Indian authorities, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.
Michel was wanted for investigation, but he escaped and avoided joining the probe, he said. A charge sheet was filed against him in September last year. "An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi," he said.
From this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017, he said.
"Michel, who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in AgustaWestland case, is being extradited by the UAE authorities to India. Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by In-charge Director CBI M Nageswara Rao," he said.
The Dubai Court of Cassation dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the appellate court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities.
The development came on a day when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held exhaustive discussions with her UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi.