NEW DELHI: As business tycoon Vijay Mallya failed to make a personal appearance before the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday in an alleged money laundering case in connection with the alleged default of over `9,000 crore loan from IDBI bank, the agency issued fresh summons to him.
The investigating officer issued fresh summons to the Mallya to personally appear before him on April 9. The business tycoon had sought time till May to depose before the agency, expressing his inability to keep the scheduled date for April 2, but the investigating officer had turned down his request to give him time till May. The agency hinted that this could possibly be the last summons to Mallya.
Earlier, the agency had summoned Mallya and asked him to appear on March 18 but he wrote to the agency saying he would not be able to present himself and sought time till May. Mallya had informed the investigating officer that he would not be able to keep the March 18 date and sought time till April. After hearing from Mallya, the agency had accepted his plea and issued fresh summons, asking him to join probe on April 2.
The agency has also started probing to the 17-bank consortium, led by the SBI, which lent money to the grounded airlines, and later went to the Debt Recovery Tribunal for recovery of these dues. It has also sent official requests seeking details of the probe conducted by the Income Tax and Service Tax departments and the Serious Frauds Investigation Office against the airline in the past. Mallya owes the banks `9,000 crore.