The Enforcement Directorate (ED) who is investigating a money laundering case against Ratul Puri, nephew of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, has revealed that the accused led a lavish lifestyle and spent over $1.1 million in a single night at a US nightclub.
According to the reports, the ED which filed a charge sheet on Friday stated that Ratul Puri transacted huge amount of money for lavish stays in various hotels and spent $11,43,980 in a single night at a night club called Provocateur.
“The verification of the transactions was done and it was seen that the same was utilised for lavish stays in various hotels in India and abroad and $11,43,980 was spent in a single night at a night club called Provocateur,” says the ED charge sheet.
According to ED, Ratul Puri has spent a whopping amount to the tune of $4.5 million on personal expenses between November 2011 and October 2016.
Read: Read why a non-bailable warrant has been issued against MP CM Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri
On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate filed its charge sheet against MP CM Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri and his company Moser Baer for alleged money laundering and bank fraud. The ED charge sheet states that Puri and his company laundered money and misappropriated funds worth Rs 8000 crore, which is higher than the amount initially stated.
Besides Puri, the charge sheet names his associates and Moser Bear India (Private) Limited (MBIL), where he was the executive director.
The ED also claimed that MBIL used a “complex structure” of companies to siphon off funds taken on loan from banks. The ED highlighted the creation of “shell companies” for laundering of funds. The charge sheet lists out a dozen subsidiaries where funds were diverted.
The ED had arrested Puri on August 20. He was sent into judicial custody by the court till October 17. Apart from ED, the CBI and Income Tax department are also probing Puri and his company Moser Baer.
He is also accused of money laundering in the AugustaWestland VVIP Chopper scam. His anticipatory bail was earlier rejected. The ED has also accused that Ratul Puri is responsible for the murder of a witness in the VVIP chopper scam.
Apart from Ratul Puri, his father Deepak Puri and his mother Nita Puri, who is Kamal Nath’s sister, have also been booked by the ED in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in connection with a bank fraud case filed by the Central Bank of India. The ED case was based on the August 17 CBI FIR against Puri.