india

Updated: Mar 02, 2019 23:03 IST

A Delhi court on Saturday issued notice to Director General (DG) of Tihar jail and the superintendent of Jail No 2 after Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the R 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam, moved a plea through his counsel, seeking judicial enquiry over being shifted to a solitary cell in Tihar jail without recording any reasons.

In the plea, Michel’s lawyer, Aljo K Joseph also sought direction to the DG of Tihar Jail to shift Michel from Jail No 2 to a normal cell.

Michel, on February 18 was shifted Jail No. 7 to Jail No.2, following a search in his prison cell the same day. While Jail no. 7 is meant for offender under PMLA and Economic Offender, Jail No. 2 which is meant for convicts and offenders under National Security Act (NSA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) and criminals like Chhota Rajan, Neeraj Bawania, Sahabuddin are also lodged.

Michel further said that he is not an offender under NSA or PSA, rather has been shifted from his previous cell at the behest of ‘External Pressure’ in the name of security “which ultimately amounts to a punishment and mental torture”.

Michel, in the application moved on Saturday said that Jail No 2 is “open shelf with different cages.” He said that there are two police guards watching him for 24 hours and his liberty is completely curtailed. “He is not allowed to neither interact nor walk around in the prison. The liberty of the applicant is completely curtailed by the jail authority without any reason,” said the application.

In the application Michel also said, that he does not have any privacy to use the toilet as the guards accompany him to that area. “The toilets in the high security jail are open ones and the guards will take the applicant to that area to attend his natural calls,” said the application.

Michel also submitted that he is not allowed to talk to anyone including the guards. “The accused/applicant has not provided with newspapers nor library access in the jail. In true sense he is spending his days just by watching the cells and the walls which itself is sufficient to destabilize the mental balance of the accused,” the application read.

In the hearing on February 28, the court had directed the DG prison to file a comprehensive reply by March 5, after the jail authorities failed to explain sudden security concerns arising 70 days after he was lodged in the jail that led to his shifting to a high security prison.