Vijay Mallya's departure sparked uproar in parliament, with the opposition accusing the government of "criminal conspiracy".
New Delhi:
Tycoon Vijay Mallya, under pressure from banks to repay more than $1 billion owed by his collapsed airline, this morning refused claims that he has fled India as politicians traded recriminations over how he was able to fly to Britain unhindered.
Mr Mallya, a Rajya Sabha member, was last seen at Parliament on March 1, a day before he flew out. Two people familiar with his travel arrangements told news agency Reuters that the 60-year-old flew first class to London on Jet Airways.
"I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder," Mr Mallya said in a series of posts on Twitter on Friday, adding he will comply with domestic laws.
His departure has sparked uproar in parliament, with the opposition accusing the government of "criminal conspiracy". Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said that at the time of Mr Mallya's travel, a consortium of banks had not asked the Supreme Court to order the controversial entrepreneur to stay in India. The government has also pointed out that Mr Mallya piled up his debts under the previous Congress administration.
Mr Mallya has been seen in the village of Tewin, north of London, said locals to NDTV. The businessman's luxury home, called "Ladywalk", cost about 16 million dollars when bought in July 2015, property records show.
Mr Mallya, who sports a goatee, an ear stud and a ponytail, was the subject of a "lookout notice" - an official circular that triggers an alert if the target seeks to leave India but does not provide a legal basis to prevent departure.
No formal legal warrant was issued against him, even after he was declared a "wilful defaulter" by creditors trying to recover the $1.4 billion owed by Kingfisher Airlines, which stopped flying in October 2012.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing more than a dozen creditors, told the Supreme Court only this Wednesday that the tycoon was no longer in the country - a week after Mr Mallya left.
Mr Mallya, a Rajya Sabha member, was last seen at Parliament on March 1, a day before he flew out. Two people familiar with his travel arrangements told news agency Reuters that the 60-year-old flew first class to London on Jet Airways.
"I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder," Mr Mallya said in a series of posts on Twitter on Friday, adding he will comply with domestic laws.
His departure has sparked uproar in parliament, with the opposition accusing the government of "criminal conspiracy". Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said that at the time of Mr Mallya's travel, a consortium of banks had not asked the Supreme Court to order the controversial entrepreneur to stay in India. The government has also pointed out that Mr Mallya piled up his debts under the previous Congress administration.
Mr Mallya has been seen in the village of Tewin, north of London, said locals to NDTV. The businessman's luxury home, called "Ladywalk", cost about 16 million dollars when bought in July 2015, property records show.
Mr Mallya, who sports a goatee, an ear stud and a ponytail, was the subject of a "lookout notice" - an official circular that triggers an alert if the target seeks to leave India but does not provide a legal basis to prevent departure.
No formal legal warrant was issued against him, even after he was declared a "wilful defaulter" by creditors trying to recover the $1.4 billion owed by Kingfisher Airlines, which stopped flying in October 2012.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing more than a dozen creditors, told the Supreme Court only this Wednesday that the tycoon was no longer in the country - a week after Mr Mallya left.
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