VVIP Chopper Scam: Businessman Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, escaped from the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody in Delhi on Saturday morning, news agency ANI reported. It said that Puri was slated to appear before the ED in connection with AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal and was asked by an official to wait when he reached the agency’s office. He, however, left the ED office without informing the officials
Television reports claimed that Puri was to be arrested today and he was told about the same by the officials. Fearing arrest, Puri told the officials that he was going to the toilet and will be back in a few minutes. But he reportedly sneaked out of the ED office.
After Puri didn’t appear before the ED, the agency issued a summon asking him to appear before probe officials in connect with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
Meanwhile, ANI reported that Ratul Puri has approached a Delhi court and filed an anticipatory bail plea. The court will hear the matter today.
Puri is the nephew of Kamal Nath and chairman of the Board of Directors of Hindustan Power projects. He is under the ED’s lens in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
Earlier, ED had questioned Puri and confronted him with Sushen Mohan Gupta, a defence agent arrested in March, in a money laundering case. Puri’s grilling along with Gupta came after disclosures by lobbyist Rajiv Saxena.