Liquor Baron Vijay Mallya denies UK interview, newspaper produces emails

New Delhi, March 15

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Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, left India as he faced pressure to repay huge sums in unpaid loans after his airline collapsed, has denied having given an interview in which is quoted to have “time for his return was not right”.

“Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my proton mail account. Have never heard of proton mail before. Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so-called proton mail account to the reporters proton mail account is a total fake,” Mallya tweeted on his official Twitter page.

“Shocked to see Sunday Guardian's claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before. Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake,” Mallya wrote on Tuesday his Twitter handle @TheVijayMallya.

Sunday Guardian's claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya)

The newspaper — the Sunday Guardian — however, released a trial of emails of the billionaire’s interview.

“The Sunday Guardian stands by its interview of Mr Vijay Mallya. This was given to the newspaper on 12 March 2016. Mr. Mallya personally responded to our email questionnaire from his encrypted email id: vjmallya@protonmail.com. This id was confirmed to us by his legal counsel's office on 8 March. To a questionnaire sent to Mr Mallya on 10 March, he replied via email on 12 March,” the newspaper website said.

“For reasons that are not clear, Mr Mallya has sought to distance himself from the interview. We, however, stand by our report. The email trail is attached,” it added.

Dubbed ‘King of Good Times’, the businessman left India as he faced pressure to repay Rs 9,000 crore taken in loans after his airline collapsed.

Mallya left the country on March 2.

Mallya’s supposed flight caused uproar in Parliament: the Congress accused the central government of having aided his “escape”, the latter blamed the Congress for having helped him arm-twist banks into extending loans despite his company’s ill health.

Mallya meanwhile has remained active on social media, although he hasn’t disclosed where he was currently.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the businessman to appear before it in Mumbai on March 18. — Agencies