Calling reports that he had fled India “rubbish”, Vijay Mallya on Friday clarified on Twitter that he had neither fled the country, nor was he an absconder. “I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently,” he tweeted. He also said that as a Member of Parliament, he respected the laws of the land and will comply with them.
Mallya owes around Rs 7,000 crore to 13 Indian banks, which had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to prevent him from leaving the country. He had earlier said he planned to leave India and move to the United Kingdom to be closer to his family.
On his Friday tweeting spree, the businessman also denounced any “trial by media”, calling out TV channel Times Now for its reports. He said on Twitter: “The editor of Times Now needs to be in prison clothes and eat prison food for libel, deceit, slander and absolutely sensational lies.” Mallya also reminded “media bosses” of the favours they sought from him for several years, saying they were now lying to gain television rating points. “Once a media witch hunt starts, it escalates into a raging fire where truth and facts are burnt to ashes,” he added.
The Times of India reported on Thursday that Mallya flew first class to London on a Jet Airways flight from Delhi on March 2. He checked in with seven large bags and was accompanied by a woman, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued a summons to Mallya in a money laundering case. It also summoned all 17 banks to whom Mallya owes money, and asked for the banks' papers relating to the money lent to Kingfisher. On Thursday, the Ed had summoned several officials of IDBI bank on connection with its investigation into money laundering accusations and Mallya's loan default worth around Rs 900 crore.
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