Didn't Think Vijay Mallya Was Flight Risk: CBI On Diluted Lookout Notice
NEW DELHI: A lookout notice against Vijay Mallya, calling for his detention on sight at airports, was diluted months before he left India for the UK in the middle of loan fraud investigations against him. After the fugitive businessman's sensational claim about meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before leaving, questions have been raised about the notice and why he was allowed to leave.
The CBI says the notice, put out on October 16, 2015, was converted weeks later on November 24 into a notice for "report on arrival" because it didn't believe Mr Mallya was a flight risk. The liquor tycoon had, at the time, frequently travelled between India and the UK.
The first notice, the investigation agency said, was a "mistake" -- the Mumbai immigration branch checked out the detention column while filling a form.
The notice was issued after the CBI registered its first case against Mr Mallya on July 29, 2015, based on information from sources -- no bank had formally complained, the agency says. When the lookout notice was issued in October, Mr Mallya was in London.
He returned the day the notice was downgraded, and left again on December 1.
The CBI says it received a call from immigration the day before his arrival, on November 23, asking whether Mr Mallya should be detained. That's when a corrected lookout circular was put out.
Mr Mallya left again for London on December 1 and returned on December 7. He left on December 23.
He returned on February 2, 2016 and left six days later. He returned again the same month and then left on March 2. This time, he never returned.
The CBI says Mr Mallya was questioned on December 9, 10 and 11. There was no reason to believe he could escape, said officials, defending the diluted notice.
Opposition parties have latched onto Mr Mallya's claims to once again attack the government and accuse it of letting big fish escape punishment.
Left leader Sitaram Yechury said Mr Mallya's escape reconfirmed how the Modi government "enables big defaulters to loot public money and scoot".
Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan criticised the CBI for diluting its lookout notice.
"Mallya says he met Jaitley to offer a settlement and told him he was going abroad. Jaitley says no particular settlement was offered. Whatever the truth, there is no denying that CBI lowered its lookout notice from 'detain' to 'inform', to allow his escape," Mr Bhushan said on Wednesday.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
