Ukrainian national and actor Areman Garuh Ataian arrested in Torres Ponzi scheme case on Thursday approached the sessions court seeking bail claiming that he had no role in the case and his “whole career will be spoiled” if kept in jail. Ataian, 48, was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on January 29 for his alleged involvement in helping other Ukrainian masterminds in the Torres ponzi case. The Torres brand, run by Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, allegedly offered high-returns investment opportunities to investors and later duped them. Ataian, the sixth person to be arrested in the case, was sent to judicial custody by a magistrate court on February 3 and was lodged at Arthur Road Jail. As per police, Ataian’s name had cropped up in the case during interrogation of Tausif Reyaz alias John Carter, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Platinum Hern. The EOW had claimed that Ataian has been living in the city for last 10 years without any valid documents and was responsible for helping Ukrainian national accused in the case to settle down in the city and providing them logistical support. Ataian, who has also worked in some Hindi movies, claimed in his plea that his “whole career will be spoiled” if kept in jail, The plea stated he was falsely implicated in the case and that his name was not mentioned in the FIR. Some Ukrainian nationals had approached him regarding setting up a jewellery store in Mumbai, and he arranged a meeting between them and Tausif Riyaz, the plea said. It added that Ataian was neither an employee of Platinum Hern or Torres, nor its director or promoter and was not related to activities of the firm. The plea further said that Ataian had cooperated with the investigating agency and will continue to do so and as per remand report, he had no role in the alleged scam, therefore "no purpose will be served by putting him behind the bars.” The court will hear the plea in due course.
