The Enforcement Directorate (ED) found Michel passing sensitive information to Joseph and on Saturday pleaded the Patiala House Court to restrict him from freely accessing Aljo. The court granted it
AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel passed on information about his interrogation and the mention of “Mrs Gandhi” to his lawyer in a chit of paper on Thursday in the courtroom.
And who is this lawyer? None other than till-recently Youth Congress legal cell head Aljo K Joseph.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) found Michel passing sensitive information to Joseph and on Saturday pleaded the Patiala House Court to restrict him from freely accessing Aljo. The court granted it.
The court ordered that any conversation between the client and the advocate was to happen from a distance of at least three feet and allowed for only 15 minutes every morning and evening for discussion.
It was based on apprehension of a “conspiracy to shield and/or to tamper the evidence”.
Till the day he was extradited and was produced in the court, Joseph was the legal head of the Indian Youth Congress. While he had been forthcoming about his association with the Congress, the Youth Congress out of embarrassment quickly distanced themselves by sacking him.
Michel had passed on a folded paper on which he had noted the questions asked and his response, including the mention of “Mrs Gandhi”, on December 27 in a medical examination during the interrogation at ED office in MTNL building.
ED report submitted to the court said: “During the medical examination, Mr Christian Michel James stood up and turned towards his advocate Mr Aljo Joseph standing next to him and acted like shaking hands with the advocate and saying him good bye and extended his hand for hand shake. It was noticed that Mr Christian Michel James secretly handed over a folded paper to his counsel Mr Aljo Joseph. Me Aljo Joseph was carrying his mobile phone under which he hid the paper and put the folded paper discreetly in the pocket of jacket and acted as if nothing took place.
“Eventually, the deputy director enquired from Mr Christian Michel James that what has been handed over to the Counsel. On this the counsel Mr Aljo Joseph was asked to give the paper back he took out a folded paper from his jacket and returned…on the perusal of the same it was found that it was having the typed form of questions to be asked on it.
“Perusal of the folded paper revealed that it pertained to a set of questions with regard to follow up questions on “Mrs Gandhi”. It is clear that there is a conspiracy to shield and/or to temper the evidence that could be brought forth from the questioning of the accused herein.”
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