New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Christian Michel, an alleged middleman who is an accused in the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice B R Gavai dismissed bail pplication on the grounds that the petition “did not fall in the criteria for grant of relief”.

Michel, in his bail application, stated that he is aged 59 years, and has a history of bad health which will make him easy prey to any Corona outbreak in the Tihar jail in Delhi and thereby he be released on bail.

“We don’t find any merit in the petition filed by the accused, petitioner in the case. We, thereby, dismiss the same,” Justice Kaul observed.

The accused, a 59-year-old British National, Michel is currently lodged in Tihar jail for his alleged involvement in the Augusta Westland VVIP chopper scam case.

Michel had moved the Apex Court after the Delhi High Court had rejected his bail application.

Michel was extradited from Dubai in 2018 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with alleged irregularities in the chopper deal. While the CBI is probing his alleged role as a middleman in the deal, the ED is investigating money laundering charges against him.