Briton held for more than six years in India without trial speaks out: ‘My whole life is destroyed'

Independent

03-04-2025

A British man jailed without trial in India for more than six years says his life has been 'destroyed' by the ordeal, claiming that he has suffered two attempts on his life and that he is being kept behind bars for political reasons.
Christian Michel was extradited to India from Dubai in 2018 as a suspect in an arms deal corruption scandal. He remains held in the high-security Tihar Jail despite being awarded bail from the Delhi High Court as well as the Supreme Court in February, because he has been unable to meet the bail conditions.
Speaking to The Independent on the sidelines of his court appearance on Thursday, Mr Michel claims that the Indian authorities are determined to keep him imprisoned. "The high court knew this. It's a political decision to keep me in jail. They are desperate to keep me here," he says. 'They know I know an awful lot about the government. Once I am out, I can put a stop to the whole court proceedings but I cannot do it from jail.'
Mr Michel's trial is yet to begin after six years of incarceration. His lawyer says investigators have found no solid evidence against him after 12 years of looking into the case, and he denies any wrongdoing.
In spite of his prolonged legal ordeal, Mr Michel seems determined to clear his name. "Let me be back home,' he appeals to the Indian authorities. 'I will continue the hearings on video conferencing and clear my name because there's no corruption. But if they keep me in India, I cannot do it safely," he says.
Reflecting on what he misses most about Britain, he says: "I miss my family. My children have grown up without me. My wife has divorced me. My parents have all died. My whole life is destroyed."
Jail, he tells the court, 'is a very sad place'. 'Holi was cancelled because a young boy committed suicide,' he says, referring to a major Hindu festival in March.
Mr Michel is alleged to have acted as a key intermediary in the 2010 deal for India's defence ministry to buy 12 luxury helicopters from Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland, a contract worth over £322.4m. Investigators allege the company paid bribes to Indian officials to secure the contract and that Mr Michel personally received commissions amounting to £25.7m.
The Enforcement Directorate, which investigates financial crimes in India, alleges Mr Michel played a pivotal role in routing illicit funds and using shell companies to disguise the payments.
Mr Michel faces charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as well as a Central Bureau of Investigation case for corruption offences.
In February 2025, the Supreme Court granted him bail in the CBI case, noting that the investigation had been dragging on for more than a decade without conclusion.
'You will not be able to conclude the trial in another 25 years going by what your conduct has been,' the top court remarked in its ruling.
'The investigation started in 2013. We are now in 2025, and 12 years have passed. The investigation is still not complete,' his lawyer Aljo K Joseph said earlier. 'They are looking for something that does not exist. They are looking for evidence that they are not getting. It is just a red herring.'
Thursday's hearing related to Mr Michel's inability to meet multiple bail conditions. 'I have no address in India, which is required to file the bail bond," Mr Michel explains to The Independent. "I have no family members they can contact in India."
Securing a guarantor, another bail condition, has also proved impossible. 'There is no one in India who will give me surety,' he says. 'My ex-wife has spoken to everyone we know but they all refuse because they say it's too dangerous. My case is too political, so they're scared of it.'
At Thursday's hearing he informs the court the only person who has shown willing to provide a guarantee for him is Jo Johnson, the brother of former British prime minister Boris Johnson.
'The only visitor I have had in six years and five months was Jo Johnson, a distant, distant cousin of mine,' he tells the judge. 'Because he's the brother of the prime minister of UK, so he feels very safe. That's the only visit I have ever had in six years and five months.'
Mr Michel's time in jail has been fraught with danger, he says, alleging that there have been attempts on his life. "A professional killer tried to kill me twice in jail and confessed to it. He was paid money to kill me, and they never investigated why he tried to kill me, who he was, or who paid him," he claims.
At a previous hearing on 7 March, Mr Michel told the court he would not accept bail given the threats to his life and a lack of security in the Indian capital.
'For me, Delhi is just a larger prison,' he told judge Sanjeev Aggarwal. 'My family cannot come here. They have been told for years it is not safe. You know I have security issues. There have been attempts on my life twice.'
At the latest hearing on Thursday, Mr Michel doubles down on his accusations. He says there was an attempt on his life in 2019 but he did not name the person who allegedly tried to kill him.
'When I didn't die, those responsible threatened to kill him,' he adds, meaning the alleged assassin. 'So, he ran to the jail superintendent saying he's been trying to kill me, he's attempted twice, it's failed, and now his life is in danger.'
Mr Michel says he gave a statement to the deputy head of the prison which prompted an investigation, but it went nowhere.
'I would rather serve my sentence and continue the trial via video conferencing from a safe country,' he submitted at the earlier hearing, pleading that the court outline his sentence so he could serve it and leave the country.
The court said his sentencing could only occur once the trial was concluded.