Why has Michel been shifted to high-security prison: Court to Tihar jail authorities

"Why has he been shifted to a high-security prison," asked a Delhi court on Thursday while pulling up the Tihar jail authorities over a plea filed by AgustaWestland deal accused middlemen Christian Michel.

Michel had filed a plea in the Patiala House court raising questions about putting him in solitary confinement and alleging that he had been shifted to a high-security jail where dreaded criminals like Chhota Rajan are kept

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar directed a competent authority to appear before him on the next date of hearing, saying else it will summon the Director General (DG), Prisons.

He later posted the matter to March 5.

During Wednesday's proceedings, Michel's counsel Alio K Joseph had contended that for the last four days, Michel was being made to stay in the jail which also houses criminals like Chhota Rajan.

Joseph had claimed, "The jail authorities are alleging that he is using a laptop inside the jail but when searches were made nothing was found. These are pressure tactics."

On Monday, the court approved Michel's application to seek a meeting with his counsel for the handover of summer clothes. It also directed the Tihar Jail authorities to facilitate for the same as per the jail manual.

On February 16, the Patiala House court had dismissed the bail plea filed by him.

Special judge Kumar had said that the court found no strong ground to grant him bail in this case.

In its reply to the bail plea filed by Michel, the Central Bureau of Investigation had said, "This court has taken cognisance of both ED and CBI charge sheets. Once the cognisance has taken, the accused cannot ask for statutory bail."

Joseph had said that since the charge sheets were not filed against Michel within the stipulated 60-day period, there was no basis keeping him in judicial custody.

Michel, who was extradited from the UAE in December last year, is currently lodged in national capital's Tihar jail in connection with the CBI and ED cases against him related to the AgustaWestland deal.