This Article is From Sep 04, 2019

Kamal Nath's Nephew Ratul Puri Arrested In AgustaWestland Case

Ratul Puri had earlier moved an application in the court seeking to surrender in the case.

Kamal Nath's Nephew Ratul Puri Arrested In AgustaWestland Case

Ratul Puri has been the subject of a number of separate investigations. (File)

New Delhi:

Ratul Puri, the nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in a money laundering case related to the AgustaWestland chopper scam.

Mr Puri, already in judicial custody in a separate money laundering case related to an alleged bank loan fraud, was produced before a Delhi court.

The court sent the 47-year-old businessman to one-day judicial custody and said it would hear on Thursday the probe agency's request allowing it to interrogate him in custody in the money laundering case related to the VVIP chopper scam.

Mr Puri had earlier moved an application in the court seeking to surrender in the case.

The money laundering case was filed following alleged irregularities in the purchase of 12 luxury helicopters from Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary, AgustaWestland for VVIPs in 2007 under the Congress-led government.

Ratul Puri has been the subject of a number of separate investigations in recent months, including an alleged Rs 354 crore bank fraud and is accused of illegal transactions and tax evasion by the Income Tax department. Mr Puri has denied any wrongdoing.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath suggested that the investigations were an attempt by the BJP-led government at the centre to settle political scores but added that he had no connection with the business of his nephew.

"To start with I have no connection with the business they are doing. I am neither a shareholder, nor a director. To me it appears to be purely malafide action. I have full faith the courts will take a corrective stand in this," the Congress leader said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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