New Delhi: Vijay Mallya's departure from India - reportedly as a first-class passenger to London- at a time when banks are desperately trying to recover nearly a billion dollars owed by his Kingfisher Airlines, has created a political uproar.
The controversy over his unhindered exit is owed in part to the CBI. Last year, the investigating agency issued a notice to airports asking for Mr Mallya, 60, to be detained if he tried to board an international flight. A month later, the "lookout notice" was downgraded with the CBI asking to be alerted if Mr Mallya seemed poised to travel abroad.
The detention notice was issued by mistake, the CBI said today, clarifying that junior staff made an error, which was reversed after immigration officials sought clarification.
Sources in the CBI say that legally, Mr Mallya could not be stopped because none of the cases against him had advanced to a stage where the evidence against him was detailed in a chargesheet.
They also said that Mr Mallya provided no cause for concern because he showed up as requested for a series of sessions with interrogators.
The CBI is looking into how Mr Mallya acquired huge loans from banks, most of them state-run, even after the calamitous finances of his Kingfisher Airlines were obvious.
12/03/16 Sudhi Ranjan Sen/NDTV
The controversy over his unhindered exit is owed in part to the CBI. Last year, the investigating agency issued a notice to airports asking for Mr Mallya, 60, to be detained if he tried to board an international flight. A month later, the "lookout notice" was downgraded with the CBI asking to be alerted if Mr Mallya seemed poised to travel abroad.
The detention notice was issued by mistake, the CBI said today, clarifying that junior staff made an error, which was reversed after immigration officials sought clarification.
Sources in the CBI say that legally, Mr Mallya could not be stopped because none of the cases against him had advanced to a stage where the evidence against him was detailed in a chargesheet.
They also said that Mr Mallya provided no cause for concern because he showed up as requested for a series of sessions with interrogators.
The CBI is looking into how Mr Mallya acquired huge loans from banks, most of them state-run, even after the calamitous finances of his Kingfisher Airlines were obvious.
12/03/16 Sudhi Ranjan Sen/NDTV