Delhi court grants bail to Ratul Puri in bank loan fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate had last month filed a charge sheet against Mr. Puri and his company Moser Baer.

Ratul Puri. File Photo.

A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to businessman Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, in a money-laundering case related to a bank loan fraud.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar granted the relief to Mr. Puri saying no purpose will be served by keeping him in further custody.

The Enforcement Directorate had last month filed a charge sheet against Mr. Puri and his company Moser Baer.

It had arrested Mr. Puri on August 20 and he is currently in judicial custody in the case which emerged from a CBI FIR of August 17. Mr. Puri, his father Deepak Puri, mother Nita (Nath’s sister) and others were booked in connection with the ₹354 crore bank fraud case file by the Central Bank of India.

Mr. Puri was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the bank fraud case after he appeared before the central probe agency in the VVIP chopper scam.

The court had on December 2 granted bail to Mr. Puri in the AgustaWestland money laundering case, while directing him not to “tamper with evidence” or “try to contact or influence the witnesses”.