Fertiliser scam: Delhi Court grants bail to Businessman Ratul Puri

New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday granted bail to Businessman Ratul Puri, nephew of Congress leader Kamal Nath in a money laundering case related to an alleged fertiliser scam.

Special Judge Vikas Dhull granted bail to Ratul Puri after taking note that the prosecution agency didn’t arrest him during the investigation. The court granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 5 lac and a surety of like amount. Special Judge Vikas Dhull last month while taking cognisance on a supplementary chargesheet filed in an alleged fertiliser scam, directed Ratul Puri to appear before the court on January 18.

Ratul Puri is also an accused in cases related to the VVIP Chopper and Moser Baer bank-related cases. He is currently on regular bail in cases related to both the alleged scam.

In the same case, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had arrested co-accused Sanjay Jain on 06.10.2022 for his alleged role in channelizing the proceeds of crime from foreign shores to India. He is presently in Judicial custody.

In the fertiliser scam, ED had initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of registration of a case by CBI dated 17.05.2021, against U.S Awasthi MD & CEO, Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), Pravinder Singh Gahlaut, MD, Indian Potash Ltd. (IPL), Sanjay Jain, brother of Pankaj Jain, President of M/s. Jyoti Trading Corporation and beneficial owner of other entities of Jyoti Group, Amarendra Dhari Singh alias A. D. Singh Sr. Vice President of M/s Jyoti Trading Corporation and others, for criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct.
According to ED, the allegations include receipt of illegal commission by the accused from the overseas suppliers through a complex web of fake commercial transactions through multiple entities registered outside India (controlled by the accused persons) to camouflage the fraudulent transactions as genuine. It is found that U. S. Awasthi (father of Amol Awasthi & Anupam Awasthi) & Parvinder Singh Gahlaut (father of Vivek Gahlaut) wield considerable influence in the Fertilizer industry by virtue of their position as Managing Director of IFFCO & Director of IPL (U. S. Awasthi) and Managing Director of IPL (Parvinder Singh Gahlaut).

Such payment of commission to them through their sons bleed the coffers of IFFCO and IPL and is a fraud upon the shareholders of IFFCO & IPL which consists of many State Marketing Federations wherein stakes are held by various State Governments, stated ED.

During the investigation, ED found that an amount of Rs. 37.12 Crore plus USD 6.18 Million has been received by Sanjay Jain in India through illicit means.
Earlier, Enforcement Directorate had arrested Sanjay Jain’s business partners A D Singh and Alok Kumar Agarwal with whom he had business relations. A D Singh had also received Rs. 27.79 Crore from Dubai through illicit means.

According to the ED, Both Sanjay Jain and A. D. Singh used the vehicle provided by Alok Kumar Agarwal to receive the proceeds of crime in India. ED had also filed a Prosecution Complaint before Special Court on 30.07.2021 against 6 accused and Court had taken cognizance of the offence. (ANI)