Mallya criticizes media 'witchhunt'
The Westminster Magistrates Court has extended Mallya's bail till December 4.
14 Jun 2017 4:45 AM GMT
Liquor baron and absconding businessman Vijay Mallya took to Twitter to hit out at the media on Wednesday, a day after he appeared in a United Kingdom court that is hearing his extradition case.
Mallya today took a dig at the Indian media on Twitter for its systematic 'witchhunt' when he said: "Intense hate campaign by Indian media against me knows no bounds. The GOI has filed a case which is before a U.K. court. Wait for verdict."
Earlier on Tuesday, Mallya, who is wanted for loan defaults amounting to at least Rs 9,000 crore taken from a consortium of 17 banks, claimed he has "enough evidence" to plead his case and taunted authorities, saying, "you can keep dreaming about a billion pounds". He further added, "I don't make statements to the media because anything I say is twisted. There is enough evidence, that will speak."
The Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday extended Mallya's bail till December 4 even as he said he has "enough evidence" to defend himself in the extradition case brought by the Indian government.
According to the media report, Aaron Watkins, who is representing India, admitted that the Crown Prosecution Service required an additional three-four weeks time to receive evidence from India for Mallya's extradition. To this, chief magistrate at Westminster magistrates' court Emma Arbuthnot was quoted by TOI as asking, "Are Indians normally very prompt in their responses? They have taken six months so far and we haven't got any further forward in the past 6 weeks?"
The embattled tycoon wanted in India on loan defaults to several banks amounting to nearly Rs 9,000-crore, taunted authorities saying, "you can keep dreaming about a billion pounds".
"You can keep dreaming about a billion pounds; you cannot prove anything without facts," he said.
The court has set July 6 as the next date for hearing the case.
Mallya was arrested and bailed on April 18. Tuesday's court hearing was confined to "case management" to decide the date for the full hearing on extradition, tentatively set for December 4.
"I have not eluded any court...I have enough evidence to prove my case," Mallya told reporters on Tuesday. "I don't make statements to the media because anything I say is twisted. There is enough evidence, that will speak."
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