देश

Vijay Mallya refutes Enforcement Directorate official’s ‘plea bargain’ claims

Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Thursday dismissed claims of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official that he was trying to bargain with authorities in a bid to get his seized assets freed.

“Media reports quote an ED official stating that I am attempting a plea bargain. Would respectfully suggest that the official read the ED charge sheet first. I would invite the ED to advance the same plea bargain theory in Court in front of whom I have placed my assets,” Mallya tweeted.

According to news reports, an ED official had refused Mallya’s offer to pay dues if his assets were freed, saying it was “an attempt at plea bargaining and a bid to bolster his case against extradition to India from Britain.”

The official had also said that the ED had not received any copy of the affidavit filed by Mallya or his United Breweries Holdings in the Karnataka High Court, as claimed by the absconding businessman.

Earlier this week, Mallya had broken his silence over the case of loan default worth around Rs 9,000 crore. He said that he was making honest efforts to clear all the dues since 2016 and had placed all his assets before the Court.