Published 08:41 IST, May 14th 2020
Vijay Mallya congratulates Centre for Covid package; says 'please take my money'
Fugitive Vijay Mallya, who is fighting against his extradition to India, on Thursday asked the government to accept his offer to repay his loans and close the case against him
Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is fighting against his extradition to India, on Thursday asked the government to accept his offer to repay 100 percent of his loan dues and the close the case against him. While congratulating the Indian government over the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to boost the economy, Mallya lamented that his repeated offers to repay his dues have been ignored, though the sincerity, timing and potency of these offers have been questioned in various quarters, as has their increase in frequency as Mallya faces a return to India.
Mallya, promoter of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, is wanted in India over alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, took to Twitter and said, "Please take my money unconditionally and close."
Earlier this month, Mallya had filed an appeal in the UK Supreme Court after losing an appeal in the London High Court against an extradition order to India on alleged charges of fraud and money laundering related to unrecovered loans to Kingfisher Airlines. He had 14 days to file this application to seek permission to move the higher court on the High Court judgment from April 20.
Vijay Mallya and money-laundering charges
The 64-year old liquor baron and former MP of the Rajya Sabha, is currently in London, fighting his extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to an alleged Rs 9,000 crore, owed to an SBI-led consortium of banks. He is out on bail and is currently awaiting a finality after the UK High Court rejected the appeal against his extradition ordered by Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in December 2018. Mallya has in recent times claimed that he was willing to pay his loans back whether he 'was in London, or in an Indian jail'.
(with PTI inputs)
Updated 08:49 IST, May 14th 2020