AgustaWestland case: Ratul Puri approaches HC on extension of protection from arrest

Businessman Ratul Puri on Monday approached the Delhi High Court seeking an extension of protection from arrest granted to him in connection with the AgustaWestland case.

His move comes a day before a special CBI court is slated to deliver an order on his anticipatory bail plea, as special judge Arvind Kumar had on August 2 reserved the order for August 6.

Puri has also challenged the reserving of the order, stating that the court did not decide on some of his applications seeking a copy of Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and a statement.

The high court will hear his petition on Tuesday.

The interim protection from arrest granted to him by a special court will end on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing Puri's alleged role in the multi-crore scam and has been seeking the businessman's custody to further investigate the matter.

During the course of hearing last week, Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh, who is representing the ED, had told the court that Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, was very influential and might flee the country.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland.

The deal was scrapped by the NDA government in 2014 over the alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of payment of kickbacks for securing the deal.