India, Jan. 10 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have opposed before the Delhi high court a plea by Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the Augusta Westland VVIP chopper case, seeking release from prison on the ground that he has already served the maximum sentence for the offences for which he was extradited and cannot be detained or tried for charges outside the extradition decree.

In separate replies filed on January 8, the agencies contended that the extradition decree expressly permits the trial of Michel for misuse of position, fraud, collusion and money laundering, which encompass the offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery and thus Section 21 of the Extradi...