Vijay Mallya releases letter to PM, says making every effort to settle dues

Mumbai: Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, who is currently in the UK, released his letters written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he was making "every effort" to settle his dues with the Public Sector Banks.

Breaking his silence to state the "factual position in response to the controversy unfortunately surrounding" him, Mallya said he had written letters to both the Prime Minister and the finance minister on April 15, 2016 to explain his side of the story.

"No response was received from either of them," he said in a statement.

Mallya, 62, also said he is tired of the relentless pursuit to recover dues. In the letter, he mentioned that he had been made the “poster boy" of bank default and a lightning rod for public anger.

He said, "I have been accused by politicians and the media alike of having stolen and run away with Rs 9,000 crores that was loaned to Kingfisher Airlines (KFA). Some of the lending Banks have also labelled me a wilful defaulter".

According to the letter, Mallya also agreed to settle the dues of Indian banks.

"I respectfully say that I have made and continue to make every effort, in good faith to settle with the Public Sector Banks. If politically motivated extraneous factors interfere, there is nothing that I can do," he said.

The liquor baron also slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) and accused them of filing charge sheets against him "with various untenable and blatantly false allegations acting at the behest of the Government and lending Banks".

"The ED have also attached assets belonging to me, my Group Companies and companies owned and/or controlled by my family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) currently valued at approximately Rs 13,900 crore," he added.

The statement comes from Vijay Mallya after the ED moved to Mumbai court last week seeking to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore and declare him a 'fugitive offender'.

Mallya is contesting money laundering charges with an overall alleged loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore. India has been continuously making efforts to extradite Vijay Mallya, who fled to London in 2016.

(With PTI inputs)