The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday denied that any bilateral meeting took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2015. The MEA response came in the wake of AgustaWestland controversy and allegations by Congress that the two PMs had a meeting in New York where the two discussed the VVIP chopper deal scam.
“There was no meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Renzi of Italy as part of PM’s bilateral meetings at the UNGA in September 2015. In so far as James Christian Michel is concerned, various law enforcement authorities of India are proceeding against him in cases relating to the Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money laundering Act,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in response to allegations made by James Christian Michel on purported meeting between the two PMs.
The MEA official added that an open ended non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued by the Special Judge of CBI against him on 24.9.2015. “Upon a CBI request a Red notice against him has been issued by the Interpol Headquarters on 25.11.2015. A request for provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition was made to the UK authorities on 4.1.2016 by the CBI. The Enforcement Directorate, another autonomous agency to handle private money laundering and foreign exchange irregularities, has also separately sent a Red Corner notice seeking arrest and a request for his extradition from the UK on 29.2.2016,” he said.