A Delhi court extended Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri’s interim protection from arrest until Thursday.

The protection was extended as the hearing on his anticipatory bail in connection with the AgustaWestland case could not be completed, agencies reported. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday had opposed Puri’s bail plea alleging that he was responsible for tampering with evidence and influencing witnesses in the money laundering case related to the VVIP chopper scam.

ED Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh had told the court, calling him an influential person, “One witness, we believe, must have been killed. We cannot reach him. His whole family is in shock. They are so scared that they have not filed an FIR.” ED’s counsel further stated to the court, “The case is not based on the political vendetta.”

On Monday, Puri’s counsel Vijay Aggarwal had argued that “the same court has granted anticipatory bail to Robert Vadra in a case in which he had appeared around nine times. As far as Ratul Puri matter is concerned, my client has visited more than 25 times.”

The AgustaWestland case pertains to alleged irregularities in purchases of 12 VVIP choppers for Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland. The deal was scrapped by Modi government in 2014 over alleged breach of contractual obligations to the tune of Rs 423 crore for securing the deal.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing on the petition of Tihar Jail against Trial Court’s order allowing Christian Michel to speak on phone for 15 minutes against the allotted time of 10 minutes. Justice Mukta Gupta also issued a production warrant for Christian Michel’s presence in the court on August 21 in connection with the case. In January this year, a Special CBI court had granted permission to Michel to make international calls to speak to his family, friends, and lawyers, giving him a 15-minute window for the purpose.

–India Legal Bureau