Christian Michel's lawyer Aljo Joseph expelled from Congress

Advocate Aljo K Joseph, counsel for Christian Michel, extradited middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, was on Wednesday expelled from the Congress party. He was the national in-charge of the legal department of the Indian Youth Congress.

"Aljo K Joseph appeared in his personal capacity. He didn't consult the Youth Congress before appearing in the case. IYC does not endorse such actions. IYC has removed Aljo Joseph from IYC's Legal Department and expelled him from the party with immediate effect," read a statement from the Indian Youth Congress' national spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey.

Earlier while talking to ANI, Joseph had said that he represented Michel in his 'professional capacity' in the special CBI court, which 'has nothing to do with his association with the Congress party.

"I am an actively practicing advocate. I appeared for him (Michel) in my professional capacity. If somebody asks me to appear on behalf of a client...I've only discharged my duty as a lawyer. It has nothing to do with the Congress," Joseph said.

"My relation with the Congress is separate. My profession is separate. One of my friends, who was having some Dubai connection, through him the lawyer in Italy had requested me to help him. So, I was just helping in appearing and assisting him in this matter," Joseph added.

Michel, who arrived in the national capital in the wee hours of Wednesday after being extradited from Dubai, was sent to five-day CBI custody by a special court of India's central investigating agency.

Michel has moved a bail plea. The court, however, kept his plea pending for the next hearing. The court allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultations with his client.