New Delhi: Indian political leaders and commentators last night called for the country's self-styled 'King of Good Times', Vijay Mallya, to be charged after the wife of one of his Kingfisher Airlines staff killed herself because her husband had not been paid for six months.
Their demand marks the billionaire's lowest point yet in a fall from grace that began last year when the fortunes of his Kingfisher Airlines went into a nose dive.
Until then he had been host of the country's most glamorous parties, owner of the UB group Kingfisher beer and liquor giant, the Deccan Chargers Twenty20 cricket team, the Force India Formula One racing franchise, the Scottish distiller Whyte and Mackay, and a string of luxury properties and yachts.
He is regularly photographed with Bollywood actresses like former Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty.
His influence with the government is such that he has been able to lobby ministers successfully to open up India's aviation market to foreign investors to allow an international operator to bail out his ailing Kingfisher Airlines which is now more than £1 billion in debt and facing complete collapse.
Lleading politicians and commentators turned on the tycoon yesterday and said he should face charges for the non-payment of salaries after Susmita Chakravarti, the wife of Kingfisher store manager Manas Chakravarti, a former Indian Air Force officer, cited the hardship her family was suffering in a suicide note.
She was found hanging in their home in New Delhi's Manglapuri area along with a note which blamed Kingfisher for their troubles. "My husband and son are very caring and I love them. My husband works for Kingfisher Airlines which has not paid him salary for the last six months. We are in acute financial crisis and so I'm committing suicide," her note read, according to police detectives.
04/10/12 Dean Nelson/The Telegraph
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Their demand marks the billionaire's lowest point yet in a fall from grace that began last year when the fortunes of his Kingfisher Airlines went into a nose dive.
Until then he had been host of the country's most glamorous parties, owner of the UB group Kingfisher beer and liquor giant, the Deccan Chargers Twenty20 cricket team, the Force India Formula One racing franchise, the Scottish distiller Whyte and Mackay, and a string of luxury properties and yachts.
He is regularly photographed with Bollywood actresses like former Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty.
His influence with the government is such that he has been able to lobby ministers successfully to open up India's aviation market to foreign investors to allow an international operator to bail out his ailing Kingfisher Airlines which is now more than £1 billion in debt and facing complete collapse.
Lleading politicians and commentators turned on the tycoon yesterday and said he should face charges for the non-payment of salaries after Susmita Chakravarti, the wife of Kingfisher store manager Manas Chakravarti, a former Indian Air Force officer, cited the hardship her family was suffering in a suicide note.
She was found hanging in their home in New Delhi's Manglapuri area along with a note which blamed Kingfisher for their troubles. "My husband and son are very caring and I love them. My husband works for Kingfisher Airlines which has not paid him salary for the last six months. We are in acute financial crisis and so I'm committing suicide," her note read, according to police detectives.
04/10/12 Dean Nelson/The Telegraph
