In a major success for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal, was extradited to India from Dubai on Tuesday, top officials confirmed here.
Sources told ANI that Michel is being brought to India and will be landing tonight.
The extradition, which took place days after a Dubai court rejected his plea against the move, marks a major success for the Prime Minister and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who had been pushing for his extradition, the sources added.
The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. The 54-year-old Michel is an accused in the case along with some others including former Air Chief SP Tyagi.
According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court here two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters.
The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations.
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