ED files charge sheet against Nath nephew in chopper case
THIS IS THE SIXTH SUPPLEMENTARY CHARGE SHEET FILED IN THE VVIP CHOPPER SCAM AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN PURI’S
NAME HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN THE CASE
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a supplementary charge sheet against Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri in a case related to alleged irregularities in the purchase of Agustawestland helicopters .
Special judge Arvind Kumar took cognisance of the charge sheet and also issued summons against co-accused Jaspreet Ahuja, a purported aide to Puri, for the next hearing.
This is the sixth supplementary charge sheet filed in the case relating to kickbacks allegedly paid to secure a deal under which India agreed to purchase Augustawestland helicopters to ferry top dignitaries. It’s the second time that Puri’s name has been mentioned in the case.
ED had previously told a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Delhi that the investigation in the case was pending “primarily due to the fact that certain documents from various foreign jurisdictions are awaited.” ED said the probe against Puri and his companies is still in “progress”.
On Saturday, ED’S special public prosecutor NK Matta told the court that money laundering had been primarily effected “by the accused Ratul Puri through two channels”.
The charge sheet filed in the court contended that the “kingpin” of one of the channels was Christian Michel, another accused and alleged middleman in the deal, and his associates, while the second channel was designed and operated by persons identified as Guido Haschke and Carlo Gero.
Matta told the court that Puri had allegedly received proceeds of the crime from Interstellar Technologies Ltd, owned by Rajiv Saxena, and Global Services FZE and Globe Oil FZE, owned by alleged middleman Michel.
ED has contended that a statement by Saxena had revealed that Puri also received the proceeds of crime from both the chains of money laundering and had used various foreign entities in his name and names of his close associates.
The agency said that the custodial interrogation of Saxena followed by a submission of incriminating documents brought to the fore the role of alleged defence agent Sushen Mohan Gupta and Puri in the Augustawestland deal.
Puri’s lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, refused to comment on the allegations levelled by ED.
Puri was arrested on September 3 for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the deal through his companies. Puri, currently lodged in Tihar jail, was earlier arrested in another case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged bank fraud.
The PMLA case emerged from a CBI first information report of August 17, in which Ratul Puri, his father Deepak Puri, mother Nita (Kamal Nath’s sister) and others were booked in connection with a Rs 354-crore bank fraud case filed by the Central Bank of India.