BHUBANESWAR: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya managed to flee as a secret advice of a senior counsel of Supreme Court to the State Bank of India on approaching the apex court to restrain him from leaving the country possibly leaked to him, revealed Kingshuk Nag, author of Kingfizzer: The Rise and Fall of Vijay Mallya.
The book, which outlines the chain of events before Mallya decamped on March 1 last year on a diplomatic passport, was released by Editor of Sambad Soumya Ranjan Patnaik here on Wednesday. The book argues had the Government agencies acted earlier with the same zeal as they are showing now, Mallya could have been brought to justice and he could not have escaped. But the banks, whom he owed money, dilly dallied and did not register any complaint against him and his companies which delayed the process, it stated.
The book, which traces the history of Mallya empire, also explores his personality and psyche to figure out his penchant for the high life that included wine, women and wealth across the globe. Nag has authored many bestsellers including 'The Namo Story' (a biography on Narendra Modi) and Netaji: Living Dangerously. Among others, noted writer and former VC of Revenshaw University Devdas Chhotray also spoke.