NEW DELHI: Christian Michel , the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scandal, had cited “poor condition” of Indian jails , just like liquor baron Vijay Mallya , to counter India’s extradition plea. Top sources in the government told ET that in the near half a dozen meetings with Michel and his lawyer, in the presence of Dubai representatives, Michel had said that he feels scared of the dilapidated condition of Indian jails Unlike Mallya’s extradition plea where the Indian government is a party before the UK court, in Michel’s case, the Indian government was not a party before the Dubai court. Indian investigative agencies kept supplying “incriminating” evidence against Michel to convince the Dubai authorities to extradite him. Sources quoted above said at the outset Michel had put up a brave front before the authorities during “questioning”.Not only did he deny any involvement in the scandal but also produced documents in his defence claiming innocence.However, Michel was confronted with documents purportedly written by him to Agusta-Westland . Michel claimed there was nothing confidential about the documents since they were “in the public domain”.Puncturing his claims, the agencies confronted him with documents allegedly authored by him containing vital “updates” about the VVIP chopper deal. The agencies made out a case showing that the said documents and diaries contained confidential information which Michel, a private citizen, could not have laid his hands on. After constant grilling, a “nervous” Michel enquired about “options” from Indian authorities in lieu of not getting extradited to India, said sources.Michel had initially claimed that he had an “offer” from the Italian prosecutor of becoming an “approver” in the case. Michel boasted that he had rejected the offer since he was innocent.He further claimed that even if he was made a similar offer by the Indian authorities, he would turn it down. Much to Michel’s chagrin, the Indian authorities made it clear that no such “offer” was on the table.Unlike the Indian system where an approver is let off the hook, the Italian legal system offers a lesser punishment to a co-accused who agrees to turn an approver.Michel kept denying writing the impugned diaries and feigned ignorance about “AP” and “family” mentioned in the said diaries detailing the alleged kickbacks paid for the choppers.He shifted the entire blame to Guido Haschke, another alleged middleman and co-accused in the scandal.Sources also indicated that the Indian authorities ensured that a robust legal channel is adopted to ensure Michel’s extradition without making any noise about it. As a matter of strategy, the developments were kept away from media gaze so that it does not “kill the prospects” of Michel’s extradition, added sources.“We wanted it to be an independent decision by the Dubai government without any kind of pressure whatsoever,” a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.As reported by ET on August 27, Indian probe agencies had upped the ante in seeking Michel’s extradition.It all started in February 2017 when the Dubai government, much to the Indian government’s surprise, informed that no evidence pertaining a Dubai company which allegedly facilitated the payment of kickbacks could be found. “No data in respect of Global Services FZE, Dubai, could be evidenced,” read an official communication sent by Dubai authorities on February 2, 2017. It added that “investigation and scrutinising the database of criminal information system found no personal data in respect of David Syms”.David Syms, a member of the Syms family, controls a number of companies. David is listed as director in over two dozen companies. As per available information, David and his octogenarian father Charles have been business associates of Michel for over 15 years. Global Services FZE, Michel’s Dubai firm, was signed on to facilitate the sale of 14 old Westland choppers to be procured from Pawan Hans Following the aforesaid communication, the Indian agencies supplied “sufficient incriminating evidence” showing Michel’s involvement in the scandal.