Jo Johnson met Christian Michel in Tihar on January 31

Jo Johnson, member of the House of Lords and brother of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, met one of the accused in the AgustaWestland case, Christian Michel, in Delhi’s Tihar Jail last week to discuss “personal and family matters”, people familiar with the development said on Monday.

The people added that Joseph Johnson Edmund, the Baron Johnson of Marylebone, is related to Michel by marriage, and met him at Tihar Jail number 4 at 11 am on Friday, January 31 for an hour.

Johnson’s office did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

While it is not known what exactly transpired between them, Michel’s plea to a Delhi court last week, ahead of the meeting, stated that Johnson wanted to know about his well-being and discuss personal and family matters.

In his plea, Michel added that he has been in judicial custody for the past six years and that in this period, none of his relatives has visited him.

He urged the court to allow Johnson to meet him. His plea was filed through his lawyer Aljo K Joseph.

Michel cited his hip replacement surgery at AIIMS, scheduled on February 11, as one of the reasons for the meeting. “It is also stated that Johnson Joseph Edmund is also a respectable person being member of the House of Lords, England,” the plea added.

The court agreed.

“In these facts and circumstances, in the interest of justice, Jo Joseph is allowed to meet Christian Michel, who is stated to be lodged in Jail number 4, Tihar,” said Sanjeev Aggarwal, Special CBI Judge, in his order on January 30, seen by HT.

The Judge directed the Superintendent of jail to allow the British leader “to meet Michel at 11 am on January 31 for an hour, after completion of formalities, as per rules”.

Christian Michel James, a British national who allegedly acted as a middleman in the ₹3,727 crore VVIP chopper deal from the United Progressive Alliance-era, was extradited to India from the UAE in December 2018 and has been lodged in Tihar since.

It is alleged that Michel was paid Euro 42 million (around ₹375 crore) bribe by Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland for further paying to Indian politicians, bureaucrats and defence ministry personnel to swing the deal for 12 VVIP choppers in favour of the company. The contract – alleged violations and kickbacks in the deal became one of the biggest controversies during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime -- for supplying 12 VVIP choppers was given to Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland in February 2010.

The deal was eventually scrapped in 2014.

After having been denied bail by the trial court and the high court, Michel approached the Supreme Court on December 6 last year seeking bail. The next hearing on his bail plea is February 18.

Both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have filed their respective charge sheets in the case, but the trial is yet to begin.