Chopper deal: ED opposes Ratul Puri's anticipatory bail plea

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday opposed the anticipatory bail plea of businessman Ratul Puri, the nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, in a money-laundering case related to the VVIP chopper scam.

Delhi High Court Judge Justice Sunil Gaur, after hearing the arguments of the counsels for ED and Puri, said he will pronounce the order on the plea later in the day.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Puri, contended he was cooperating in the investigation and legal malice and vendetta was writ large in the agency's conduct.

Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi, representing ED, opposed the plea, saying Puri was evasive in his replies to the agency during investigation and his answers were ex-facie misleading. He said evasiveness of reply is a ground to seek his custodial interrogation.

Puri, in his plea through advocate Vijay Aggarwal, has challenged the August 6 order of the trial court dismissing his anticipatory bail plea.

On August 9, the trial court issued a non bailable warrant against Puri on ED's plea.

ED arrested Puri this morning in another bank loan fraud case.