“I have become the “Poster Boy” of bank default and a lightning rod of public anger,” said Mallya in a letter, according to PTI.
NEW DELHI – Fugitive Indian businessman Vijay Mallya has said he has made “made and will” continue to make efforts to settle with the public sector banks, but is tired of the Indian government’s “relentless pursuit” of him.
“I have become the “Poster Boy” of bank default and a lightning rod of public anger,” said Mallya in a letter, according to PTI.
“Recovery of loans is a civil matter which has been criminalised in my case,” Mallya, who is living in the UK. “Tired of this relentless pursuit of me by the government and its criminal agencies,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
Mallya said he has requested court permission to allow sale of his assets under judicial supervision so that he can repay creditors, including state-owned banks.
Mallya is contesting money laundering charges in London as part of India’s efforts to extradite him from there and face the legal system here in connection with an overall alleged loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore of various banks.
Last Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a court against Mallya seeking to declare him a ‘fugitive offender’ and to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore, under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that empowers the government to confiscate all assets of an absconding loan defaulter.
