The Congress has expelled Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader and lawyer Aljo K Joseph from the party after he appeared for Christian Michel, alleged middleman in the ₹3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.
Mr. Michel was on December 5 sent to five-day CBI custody by a Delhi court, a day after he was extradited to India from the UAE.
The CBI’s plea for custody was opposed by Mr. Joseph and Vishnu Shankaran, who said they have not yet received any documents from the CBI and that the accused may be remanded in judicial custody.
Suresh Nakhua, a spokesperson of the Mumbai unit of the BJP, had claimed that Mr. Michel’s lawyer was a Youth Congress functionary, evoking sharp reactions from various quarters. Following criticism, the Congress expelled Mr. Joseph from the party.
“Aljo K Joseph appeared in his personal capacity. He did not consult the Youth Congress before appearing in the case. IYC does NOT endorse such actions. IYC has removed Aljo Joseph from IYC’s Legal Department and expelled him from the party with immediate effect,” the IYC said in a statement.
