Court reserves order on Ratul Puri's NBW cancellation plea

A Delhi court on Monday reserved order on the plea filed by Ratul Puri seeking cancellation of the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him in connection with a money laundering case relating to AgustaWestland deal.

Puri's counsel Vijay Aggarwal submitted that he was willing to join the probe.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar, however, adjourned for August 22 his another petition seeking to challenge the grounds on which the NBW was issued.

During the hearing, ED counsel Special Public Prosecutor D.P. Singh said the agency had called Puri but he didn't join the probe. Opposing the claim, Puri's counsel said the agency called his client at 11.55 a.m. on Monday, but Puri was stuck in a board meeting.

Singh said the agency tried to send summons to Puri, but he was unavailable and the summons were received by his mother. The agency didn't receive any communication about his joining the probe and also that he was in Delhi, the ED counsel said.

On Saturday, the court refused to stay NBW against Puri. During the hearing, Aggarwal had said, "I got interim protection from the high court on 13th, sent them a mail on 14th mentioning that I am willing to join the investigation on 15th. We sent a similar mail today also."

"If they would have called me and I would have sat there, as far as my understanding goes the warrant would have lapsed," he added

"When I am calling him everyday, he didn't come. Now he wants to come on August 15, a national holiday. This is just an attempt to confuse the court by filing multiple applications," said Singh countering Aggarwal's submissions.

"If they have an interim protection from arrest by the high court, what's the need to stay the NBW," Singh said.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday had directed that no coercive action be taken against Puri in the case.

The court also asked the agency to state in the affidavit the subsequent developments in the case, reasons as to why it needed Puri's custodial interrogation and the details and extent of the property attached by the Income Tax Department.

The high court has set August 20 as next date of hearing.

On July 26, when Puri was being questioned in the AgustaWestland VVIP case he sought permission to go to washroom, but slipped away, an agency official said. When he didn't return, agency officials tried to reach him on his mobile phone but it was switched off.

However, Puri denied the ED allegations saying he was granted a lunch break by the officials interrogating him.

Puri is under the scanner of probe agencies for allegedly receiving kickbacks in AgustaWestland deal through his companies. The agency has alleged that accounts associated with firms, owned and operated by Puri, were used to receive kickbacks and launder the deal money.

( With inputs from IANS )