The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed by AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel James challenging Article 17 of the India-UAE extradition treaty, which permits prosecution for offences connected to those for which extradition was granted.

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta sought responses within four weeks. The petitioner has challenged a Delhi High Court judgment which upheld the validity of the treaty provision and rejected his plea for release.

It was argued before the Court that Article 17 of the treaty is inconsistent with Section 21 of the Extradition Act, which restricts prosecution strictly to the offences for which extradition is granted. The plea also questions whether an international treaty can override domestic statutory safeguards.

Christian Michel, who was extradited from Dubai in 2018 in connection with the VVIP chopper deal case, has been accused of acting as a middleman in the alleged payment of kickbacks in the procurement of helicopters.