The Central Bureau of Investigation informed the Mumbai Police in November 2015 that the first lookout notice issued for businessman Vijay Mallya was an error and that Mallya’s detention was not required, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. It also asked police to “inform the advance arrival/departure of the subject discreetly”.
Last Thursday, the agency had said the dilution of the 2015 lookout circular against Mallya from detaining him to them merely being informed about his entry/exit was an “error in judgement”, PTI had reported.
On Saturday, the CBI said allegations that its Joint Director AK Sharma weakened the lookout circular against liquor baron Vijay Mallya to allow him to flee India were baseless. “As has been stated a number of times earlier, the decision to change the lookout circular was taken because at the time there was not sufficient grounds for the CBI to detain and arrest him,” it said.
In the circular dated October 16, 2015, the agency filled out the LOC (lookout circular) form checking the box “prevent subject from leaving India”, the daily reported after verifying correspondence.
A second circular was dated November 24, 2015, the night Mallya landed in Delhi. The circular had a covering letter sent to the Special Branch of the Mumbai Police. The agency checked the box “inform originator of arrival/departure of subject” in this form.
Four months later, on March 2, 2016, Mallya flew to London from Delhi, and has since refused to return to India to faces charges related to the more than Rs 9,000 crore he owes Indian banks. Proceedings to extradite him from the United Kingdom are now on. In February 2016, his largest creditor, the State Bank of India, reportedly got legal advice to move the Supreme Court to stop his exit, but they did not act on it.
In the November 2015 letter to the Mumbai Police, the CBI said “detention of the subject at this stage is not required by us”. “In case detention is required in future, it will be communicated separately. The LOC established in respect of the subject may also be amended accordingly,” the CBI said in the letter. The letter was signed by then CBI’s SP in Mumbai, Harshita Attaluri, and marked to Mumbai IPS officer Aswati Dorje.
The letter said the agency was unaware of the system of alerts via the Advanced Passenger Information System and now that they had been made aware of it, there was no need for Mallya’s detention.
Immigration authorities had sounded an alert through the Advanced Passenger Information System to the CBI on the morning of November 23, 2015, that Mallya was landing at New Delhi’s international airport from a foreign destination on the night of November 24.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!