Delhi Police launch fresh investigation against Kamal kin

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has launched a probe against Ratul Puri, the nephew of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, for allegedly not paying dues, including gratuity, to over 1,800 employees of Moser Baer India Ltd and Moser Baer Solar Ltd, officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

Puri is already being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in different cases, including the ~3,726 crore VVIP chopper (Agustawestland) case, and has already been charged with money laundering in the matter.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have launched a probe against Ratul Puri, the nephew of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath for allegedly not paying dues, including gratuity, to over 1,800 employees of Moser Baer India Ltd and Moser Baer Solar Ltd, officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.

Puri is already being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in different cases, including the ~3,726 crore VVIP Chopper (Agusta Westland) case, and has been charged with money laundering in the matter. Last week, CBI filed a case against him and his mother Nita Puri (Nath’s sister) for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks led by Punjab National Bank of ~787 crore.

The Delhi police first information report (FIR), registered this February but not reported until now, names Ratul Puri, his father Deepak Puri, mother Nita Puri, and two others. The FIR, reviewed by HT, was registered on a complaint from Dori Singh, secretary of the Moser Baer Employees’ Union, who alleged that around ~90 crore dues, including gratuity of 1,883 workers of Moser Baer, were not paid after the company went into liquidation in September 2018.

Singh’s complaint, on the basis of which FIR was registered under IPC sections pertaining to cheating and conspiracy, said “at least 1,883 employees of Moser Baer are suffering... because they are not getting due payments, their inalienable right, because Devendra Singh (resolution professional) in connivance with Deepak Puri, Nita Puri, Sunita Mowdgal (former directors of Moser Baer India Limited), and Ratul Puri (Director of Hindustan Power Projects Private Limited) diverted funds from Gratuity Trust Account which amounts to an offence Under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code”.

O P Mishra, Joint Commissioner (EOW) Delhi Police told HT, “We are investigating the case.” Ratul Puri’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal contended that the FIR had no basis. “Delhi police has filed a report in the court that no offence has been committed, and subsequent to the date of FIR, the order of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) states that the gratuity dues of all employees have been paid. Moreover, my client is neither named nor concerned with this FIR, and it is a matter between the liquidator and the workmen which got settled,” he said.

“The records... reveal that gratuity was processed to 112 employees preferentially. The e-mail dated February 7, 2019, by Devendra Singh to Anil Kohli, proves the fact...that he had allowed gratuity preferentially. Those people were seriously ill/ bedridden/ expired,” the FIR said.

It added that the examples cited by the liquidator before the NCLT (Principal Bench), which was disposed of by an order dated February 19, 2019, reveal that employees were made to resign from Moser Baer India, and were either appointed or transferred to a subsidiary. “It is settled law that if there is a transfer of an employee/workman from the parent to the subsidiary company, then calculation of gratuity is counted continuously,” it said.