Christian Michel’s children write to PM Modi asking for release of their father

LONDON: The three children of AugustaWestland helicopter scam accused Christian Michel, a British national incarcerated in India as an undertrial for seven years, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading for his unconditional discharge. Modi left Wednesday for London where he is expected to sign a free trade pact on Thursday.Michel has been in Tihar jail since Dec 2018 when he was extradited to India from Dubai.In a letter to PM Modi, his son Alois writes on behalf of his brother Alaric and sister Alienor that next week his father will complete seven years in Tihar jail without trial, which amounts to the maximum penalty for the offences he is accused of. “After 12 years of investigation, Indian authorities have failed to bring my father to trial,” hehas written, describing this length of time in detention without trial being “a gross violation of human rights”.He points out Britain is a country which is friendly towards India. “Our father is entitled to an immediate, unconditional discharge,” he writes.Michel, meanwhile, has penned a letter from Tihar to UK PM Keir Starmer, in which he writes: “ If I am not released next week then it is illegal detention.” He says that trying him for the same crime in India, that he was exonerated for by the courts in Italy, is “double jeopardy”, and adding further offences to those he already faces, as the Indian govt has done, is a breach of extradition laws.Alois has also written to UK foreign secretary David Lammy criticising the British govt for not applying effective pressure on India. “Our father has been subject to torture and attempts on his life have been made in the prison. It has not gone unnoticed that the British govt has been rushing to secure a trade deal with Mr Narendra Modi, without any concern for human rights of a British citizen. In what way is our father’s case different from the many the British govt has forcefully taken up with other govts,” he asks.Michel is accused of bribing and criminally conspiring with Indian officials to win a contract on behalf of British helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, now renamed Leonardo’s Helicopters, for 12 VVIP helicopters in 2010 and receiving €30m for securing the deal. He denies the charges.