Enforcement Directorate summons Vijay Mallya

Reports said Mallya has been asked to appear before the ED on March 18 in a money laundering case.

 

Earlier, Mallya, who owes over Rs 9000 crore to banks, said he did not 'flee' from India.

The liquor baron's whereabouts is still a mystery though several media reported from Hertfordshire near London as his possible place of stay now, according to media reports.

Mallya tweeted: "I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish."

"As an Indian MP I fully respect and will comply with the law of the land. Our judicial system is sound and respected. But no trial by media," he said.

Attacking the media, the businessman tweeted: "Let media bosses not forget help, favours,accommodation that I have provided over several years which are documented. Now lies to gain TRP ?"

"News reports that I must declare my assets. Does that mean that Banks did not know my assets or look at my Parliamentary disclosures ?" he asked.

Mallya said: "Once a media witch hunt starts it escalates into a raging fire where truth and facts are burnt to ashes."

 

Congress earlier said Vijay Mallya could leave the country with the complicity of the BJP government.

 

The Indian Parliament was rocked too over how he could leave India with the Opposition and the ruling BJP sparring over Mallya. 

A consortium of banks, led by the State Bank of India, had filed a petition with the Supreme Court that Mallya's passport be impounded and he should not be allowed to leave the country. They feared that he may fly to London to avoid his lenders, according to reports.

The SC issued a notice to Mallya on Wednesday and asked him to reply within two weeks why his passport should not be impounded.

Meanwhile, the Debt Recovery Tribunal has also barred Mallya from accessing the Rs 515 crore severance pay he is to receive from Diageo for stepping down as the chariman of the UB Group.

On charges of defaulting on loan, the Karnataka High Court had recently issued a notice to the liquor baron  on a petition filed by State Bank of India (SBI) and 17 other banks seeking his arrest.

The SC bench issued the notice to Kingfisher Airlines through Mallya and United Breweries and allowed the banks to serve a notice on him electronically on his official email id as Rajya Sabha MP. The court also let the banks serve notice on the Airlines and Mallya through his lawyers, according to reports.