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Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya said on September 12 that he met the Finance Minister before leaving India in 2016.
The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airline boss, who arrived to appear before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, said he had met the minister and offered to settle the issue with banks.
"I left India because I had a scheduled meeting in Geneva. Before leaving I met the Finance Minister and offered to settle (the issue with the banks)," Mallya said, without naming the minister. Arun Jaitley was the Finance Minister in 2016 when Mallya left India.
In response to Mallya’s statement, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley issued a clarification through a Facebook post. He said, "The statement is factually false in as much as it does not reflect truth."
Jaitley added he had never given the absconding liquor baron any appointment since 2014, although he mentions that Mallya did approach him outside Parliament. He said, "Mallya misused his privilege as Member of the Rajya Sabha in order to further his commercial interest."
Mallya, who is currently facing charges of fraud and money laundering to the tune of around Rs. 9,000 crore, had arrived at the Westminster Magistrate’s Court for an extradition hearing. The court is expected to review a video of the Mumbai jail cell prepared by the Indian authorities for Mallya.
Mallya’s claims of having met the Finance Minister before he left the country has stirred a controversy within political parties, with the Congress demanding an explanation from the Narendra Modi-led NDA government on 'how and why Vijay Mallya was allowed to leave India'.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted:
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