Court seeks Tihar’s reply on James’ poisoning charge
A Delhi court on Thursday directed Tihar Jail authorities to submit a status report on the safety measures in place for Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.
The order came after James alleged that there had been an attempt to poison him while in custody. The court also issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding his claims.
“The ED claims that I am not in danger. However, I want to put on record that I ingested some of the poison I was given in 2019, which I managed to spit out,” James, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, told the court.
He further said despite filing a complaint regarding the alleged poisoning, no action had been taken by the authorities.
During the hearing at Rouse Avenue Court, Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal directed the Director General (DG) of Prisons to submit a report on the steps taken in response to James’s complaint.
Additionally, the court granted James’s request to wear shoes and pyjamas in jail, instructing prison authorities to decide on the matter in accordance with regulations. James had claimed that he was recently denied permission to wear shoes.
The court also ordered that James be taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on April 7 for a follow-up appointment related to a previous surgery. Noting that he had been experiencing leg pain, the court directed that he be examined in the orthopaedic ward. A copy of the order was sent to the DG of Prisons.
The court acknowledged that James has been charged under Section 467 of the IPC, which carries a life sentence.
