Vijay Mallya escape case: CBI probes into UPA finance ministry angle

When the entire country is searching for answers on how and why loan defaulter Vijay Mallya fled and fingers are pointed towards the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, CBI seems to be least bothered about the current scenario and looking to find the sources as to how Mallya secured those loans, instead.

The CBI has planned to file a fresh chargesheet on the involvement of finance ministry officials in the disbursal of loans to bankrupt Kingfisher Airlines during the UPA regime. The loans were sanctioned by 17 public sector banks, including State Bank of India. With this, the CBI is trying to cover up the goof-ups and the “error in judgement” made by them. However, the investigative agency has itself accepted that it made a mistake by not considering Mallya flight a ‘risk’.

Contradicting its own stance, the CBI’s latest move is to investigate the emails exchanged between finance ministry official — during the UPA tenure — and Mallya. A report published in The Economic Times confirmed that the probing agency has already approached the current finance ministry and have formally obtained the documents to build up the case. The files are being scrutinised so that the officials can be questioned.

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The report further states that the investigative agency is looking at the mails, exchanged between Mallya and his key financial advisors in restructuring the airline. Officials include — AK Ravi Nedungadi, Harish Bhat and A Raghunathan.

Earlier on Thursday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference and alleged that Arun Jaitley met fugitive Mallya for fifteen minutes in the parliament on March 1, 2016 — a day before he fled. He further alleged that the Kingfisher Airlines owner told Jaitley that he will flee, but the Union Finance Minister did not bother to inform any of the investigative agencies. On that basis, Rahul demanded the resignation of Jaitley and sought for a probe.

However, Rahul Gandhi got support from unexpected quarters. BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy endorsed Rahul’s claims and said that there it is an undeniable fact that Vijay Mallya told Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament that he was leaving for London. Taking to Twitter, Swamy wrote, “We have now two undeniable facts on the Mallya escape issue: 1. Look Out Notice was diluted on Oct 24, 2015 from “Block” to “Report” departure enabling Mallya to depart with 54 checked luggage items. 2. Mallya told FM in Central Hall of Parliament that he was leaving for London.”

ALSO READ: Arun Jaitley knew about Mallya fleeing: Subramanian Swamy

Former solicitor general Mukul Rohatgi’s statement was rubbing salt on BJP’s wounds. Speaking to NDTV on Thursday, the former attorney general of India said, “Yes if we went earlier, he wouldn’t be able to escape.” Rohatgi said to NDTV, “Lookout notices weren’t common then, as it is now.” He was commenting on the way he escaped from the country on March 2, 2016, just a day before banks moved to recover debts from him which tunes to Rs 9,400 crore.

With the controversy snowballing into a big one with each passing day, the Union government has tried to bypass the controversy by repeating the same old ‘parivaar’ jibe at the Congress. Blaming the opposition for the ‘loot’, Goyal said Congress is covering up its sins. Replying back to Rahul’s allegations, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal had said, “Congress looted the public money. And now, when we are trying to recover the money, we are being blamed instead.”

Since the matter is being discussed at the national level and BJP already in the troubled water, it won’t be a surprise if few heads roll.

ALSO READ: Piyush Goyal trains guns at Congress, mum on Arun Jaitley