'My life's destroyed': Briton held for six years without trial in India speaks out

A British man jailed without trial in India for more than six years says his life has been “destroyed” by the ordeal, claiming that he has suffered two attempts on his life and that he is being kept behind bars for political reasons.

- NAMITA SINGH

Christian Michel was extradited to India from Dubai in 2018 as a suspect in an arms deal corruption scandal. He remains held in the high-security Tihar Jail despite being awarded bail from the Delhi High Court as well as the Supreme Court in February, because he has been unable to meet the bail conditions.

Speaking to The Independent on the sidelines of his court appearance yesterday, Mr Michel claims that the Indian authorities are determined to keep him imprisoned. “The high court knew this. It’s a political decision to keep me in jail. They are desperate to keep me here,” he says. “They know I know an awful lot about the government. Once I am out, I can put a stop to the whole court proceedings but I cannot do it from jail.”

Mr Michel’s trial is yet to begin after six years of incarceration. His lawyer says investigators have found no solid evidence against him after 12 years of looking into the case, and he denies any wrongdoing.

In spite of his prolonged legal ordeal, Mr Michel seems determined to clear his name. “Let me be back home,” he appeals to the Indian authorities. “I will continue the hearings on video conferencing and clear my name because there’s no corruption. But if they keep me in India, I cannot do it safely,” he says.

Reflecting on what he misses most about Britain, he says: “I miss my family. My children have grown up without me. My wife has divorced me. My parents have all died. My whole life is destroyed.”

Jail, he tells the court, “is a very sad place”. “Holi was cancelled because a young boy committed suicide,” he says, referring to a major Hindu festival in March.