Mallya says met FM for 'settlement' before leaving, Jaitley says statement factually false

The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airline boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year and is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores.

Indian Liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya (AP Photo/ File)

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, fugitive Vijay Mallya made a shocking claim saying that he met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before leaving and repeated his offer to settle with the banks. The remarks by Mallya came as he arrived at the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a hearing in his extradition case, during which the judge is expected to review a video of the Mumbai jail cell prepared by the Indian authorities for the embattled liquor tycoon. Outside the court, he also said "I obviously don't agree with what the prosecution is alleging. Let the Court decide." Reacting to this, Arun Jaitley clarified "The statement is factually false in as much as it does not reflect truth. Since 2014, I have never given him any appointment to meet me and the question of his having met me does not arise. However, since he was a Member of Rajya Sabha and he occasionally attended the House, he misused that privilege on one occasion while I was walking out of the House to go to my room. " "He paced up to catch up with me and while walking uttered a sentence that ”I am making an offer of settlement”. Having been fully briefed about his earlier “bluff offers”, without allowing him to proceed with the conversation, I curtly told him “there was no point talking to me and he must make offers to his bankers.” I did not even receive the papers that he was holding in his hand. Besides this one sentence exchange where he misused his privilege as a Rajya Sabha Member, in order to further his commercial interest as a bank debtor, there is no question of my having ever given him an appointment to meet me." Jaitley said. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airline boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year and is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores. Reacting on Mallya’s claim, Arvind Kejriwal said "Why did the Finance Minister hide this information till now? Absolutely shocking. Finance Minister ought to respond. Obviously, PM knew about it." He further added "PM Modi meets Neerav Modi before he flees the country. FM meets Vijay Mallya before he flees India. What transpired in these meetings? People want to know."