Bail for Kamal Nath nephew Ratul Puri in AgustaWestland chopper case

Puri will still remain in jail where he is in judicial custody in another case.

A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to businessman Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, in the AgustaWestland chopper case stating that he has roots in society and will not abscond.

The order comes after Puri filed for regular bail following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering aspects of the deal to buy 12 VVIP choppers. (Photo by Ramesh Pathania/Mint via Getty Images)

Special Judge Arvind Kumar granted bail to Puri on a personal bond of ~5 lakh and two sureties of like amounts. The court said that the accused should not tamper with the evidence or try to contact or influence witnesses. Puri will still remain in jail where he is in judicial custody in another case.

The court also said that Puri should join the investigation as and when he is asked to and will not leave the country without the prior permission of the court.

The order comes after Puri filed for regular bail following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering aspects of the deal to buy 12 VVIP choppers. The agency contended that Puri accumulated proceeds of crime and laundered them using his shell companies.

Puri’s counsel argued, “It was a case of arrest without complying with legal provisions. My client has nothing to do with AgustaWestland deal. He is an entrepreneur involved in power generation. So it was obvious ED’s case was not to withstand judicial scrutiny.”

The court said, “The accused is 46 years of age and has roots in the society. The contention of ED that accused may abscond does not appear to have much substance.”