AgustaWestland Case: Ratul Puri Moves HC Seeking Anticipatory Bail
The trial court dismissed Ratul Puri’s anticipatory bail plea, noting that the probe was at a crucial stage.
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Businessman Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, on Tuesday, 13 August, approached the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a money laundering case related to the VVIP chopper scam.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar agreed to list the matter for hearing post lunch.
The Income Tax Department attached a Rs 300-crore bungalow in Delhi and FDI worth $40 million as part of its probe under anti-benami law against Ratul Puri, and his father, officials said on Sunday, 11 August.
The officials said the bungalow is located at 27A, APJ Abdul Kalam Road, in the Lutyens Delhi zone, and is in the name of a firm of the Moser Baer group, owned and promoted by Ratul Puri's father, Deepak Puri.
The assets, including an FDI amount of $40 million, have been provisionally attached under the anti-benami law and is related to the case against Ratul Puri and Deepak Puri, they said.
This is the second such I-T action against Ratul Puri, who is being probed on money laundering charges in relation to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case.
In court, advocate Vijay Aggarwal mentioned before the bench, the matter in which he has challenged the 6 August order of the trial court dismissing Puri's anticipatory bail plea.
On 9 August, the trial court issued a non-bailable warrant against Puri on the plea by the Enforcement Directorate.
The high court had dismissed the petition, seeking a direction to the trial court not to pronounce order on his anticipatory bail plea without hearing his other pending applications.
The trial court later dismissed his anticipatory bail plea, noting that the probe was at a crucial stage.
According to Enforcement Directorate, Puri has not been joining the investigation since he was granted interim protection by court on 27 July on his application for anticipatory bail.
(With inputs from PTI)
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