New Delhi, January 9: The Delhi Court today scheduled the next hearing in AgustaWestland case on February 28. The court agreed to hear Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the arbitration proceedings going on between Agusta Westland and the MoD. The court also asked both the parties to file their affidavits within five weeks. The ministry alleged before the Delhi High Court that there are several criminal proceedings going on against the AgustaWestland due to which arbitration proceedings cannot be allowed to go on. AgustaWestland Scam: BJP CMs Accuse Congress of Taking Bribe After Christian Michel Named 'Mrs Gandhi'.

On December 29, last year, The Enforcement Directorate told the Patiala House Court that alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, Christian James Michel, had named senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. However, the central probing agency denied to state the reference to the court. The ED in its reply told the Delhi's Patiala House court that Michel has identified how HAL was removed from the deal and Tata was offered the deal. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Never Interfered in AgustaWestland Deal, Says Former Defence Minister AK Antony.

Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. The very next day, the CBI presented him in the court and was sent to a five-day custodial interrogation by the CBI, which was extended by five more days, and later for another four days. Other than Michel, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the two alleged middlemen in the case.

Earlier reports also surfaced that Michel and Haschke were also pitching for Eurofighter Typhoon in the proposed Rafale deal by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. According to a report published by India Today, Michel along with Guido Haschke was strategised for Rafale's competitor Eurofighter to win the deal in its favour.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2019 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).