The cookie is crumbling. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is verifying the records of Special Protection Group (SPG) of Sonia Gandhi to cross-check several meetings of Sonia Gandhi with dealer Christian Michel for the past two decades. What must concern her is the fact that Michel’s driver has already told the agencies about their frequent meetings till October 2012, the last time Michel buzzed off from India after the AgustaWestland chopper purchase controversy blew up in their faces.

Earlier, in the Bofors case, Sonia’s SPG Officer Naresh Chandra Gosain testified to the CBI that Sonia met dealer Ottavio Quattrocchi 21 times. He also told that whenever Rajiv went out of Delhi, Sonia would take the children Rahul and Priyanka to Quattrocchi’s home[1].

According to sources, Sonia normally visits high profile guests at her 10, Janpath residence or at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) office in the heart of Delhi in Raisina Road. Till May 2014, RGF office was also under the control of SPG, as the Gandhi family members frequented it and met dignitaries there. Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government came to power, Sonia had written to the Government to withdraw SPG members from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation building, where SPG staffers were posted and maintained a Register and monitored the visitors.

The CBI has found that Michel landed in India more than 300 times from 1998 onwards and was engaged in many deals related to the aviation sector including Indian Air Force purchases. Michel’s driver Narayan Bahadur’s confession is expected to be a big breakthrough for the CBI, as he had revealed where he took Michel in Delhi for the past two decades. CBI is expected to verify these aspects with the SPG Guards of Sonia also.

This is not the first time that CBI is verifying SPG records to know the activities of Sonia Gandhi. Earlier, in the Bofors case, Sonia’s SPG Officer Naresh Chandra Gosain testified to the CBI that Sonia met dealer Ottavio Quattrocchi 21 times. He also told that whenever Rajiv went out of Delhi, Sonia would take the children Rahul and Priyanka to Quattrocchi’s home[1]. Quattrocchi’s driver also confirmed this.

Though Michel always used to stay in Hotel Claridges in Central Delhi, he purchased a farmhouse in Chhatarpur in the outskirts of Delhi. These were the findings of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2015 when the agency caught hold of Michel’s retainer Raju Santhanam, who was also a journalist[2].

CBI is also verifying whether Sonia’s son-in-law Robert Vadra also had direct dealings with Christian Michel. Sonia Gandhi was also very close with Michel’s father, the late Wolfgang Michel, who was a big dealer in the aviation sector in India, Libya and UK etc. Many Research and Analytical Wing (RAW) officers wrote in their memoirs that former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao ordered RAW agents in London to watch whenever Sonia lands there and they have reported many times that she stayed at father Michel’s bungalow near River Thames.

References:

[1] ‘He met Sonia 21 times after Rajiv’s Death’ – Jan 17, 2011, India Today

[2] VVIP chopper deal: Christian Michel sent cash with driver, met SP Tyagi kin at Sainik farm, ED tells court – Jun 16, 2016, Indian Express