Augusta Westland: Special Court Issues Notice To ED In Ratul Puri's Bail Plea

Special CBI Court has issued notice to Enforcement Directorate in a bail application moved by Kamal Nath's nephew Ratul Puri in a money laundering case.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had also refused to grant anticipatory bail to Ratul Puri citing the need to effectively investigate the case by ensuring his interrogation in custody. Puri is one of the prime accused in Augusta Westland money laundering case.

On September 4, ED had arrested Puri in VVIP chopper scam involving purchase of 12 luxury helicopters from Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary, AgustaWestland, during the UPA rule in 2007-08.

Since then, Puri has been in jail due to continuous extensions of his police, and then judicial custody.

On November 2, ED had filed a sixth supplementary complaint against Puri, pursuant to which the agency had released the following statement:

'Accused Ratul Puri has received proceeds of crime amounting to Euro 704,134.57 and $150,000 from Interstellar Technologies Limited in his foreign entities. The same were thereafter layered through various companies in foreign jurisdictions and then brought into India and invested in Hindustan Power Group whose Chairman is Ratul Puri. Raul Puri has also received proceeds of crime amounting to USD 1,240,890 from Christian Michel James' companies namely Global Services FZE and Globe Oil FZE through the companies of Rajiv Saxena which were used for the benefit of Ratul Puri. The other accused is Jaspreet Ahuja who has assisted Ratul Puri in laundering the proceeds of crime through various jurisdictions by creating, maintaining and managing the foreign companies which belonged to Ratul Puri. Both have known each other since long. Dubai based Chartered accountant and Hawala operator Rajiv Saxena was deported to India, it was also revealed that proceeds of crime were laundered through his companies received from Christian Michel James as well as through the bank accounts of Interstellar Technologies Limited which had received proceeds of crime from the company of the middlemen Gerosa and Haschke for the benefit of Ratul Puri, Chairman of Hindustan Projects Power Private Ltd.The Honorable Court has also been apprised of the fact that three Provisional Attachment Orders amounting to ₹27.5 crores out of which two have already been confirmed by Adjudicating Authority have been issued. Summons have been issued to Jaspreet Ahuja for 18.12.2019 and accused Ratul Puri has been remanded to Judicial Custody till 18.12.2019."

The hearing on Puri's bail plea will now take place on November 22.