VVIP Chopper scam: HC extends judicial custody of Puri

A Delhi court on Friday extended till November 2 the judicial custody of Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, in a money laundering case related to the alleged AgustaWestland chopper scam.

Special judge Arvind Kumar sent Puri to jail after the Enforcement Directorate moved an application seeking an extension of Puri's judicial custody.

The ED arrested Puri on September 4.

The money laundering case was lodged following alleged irregularities in the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary, AgustaWestland.

Puri was earlier arrested in another case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged bank fraud after he appeared before the central probe agency here in the chopper scam after it had slapped a fresh criminal case against him and others, taking cognizance of a CBI FIR.

The latest PMLA case emerged from a CBI FIR of August 17, where 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.