Money laundering case: Vijay Mallya seeks more time for ED grilling

Mumbai: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Thursday sought time till April for making a personal appearance before the ED, saying he will not be able to keep Friday’s date pursuant to the summons issued against him by the agency in the IDBI bank loan default case.

Enforcement Directorate sources said the agency may accept his plea and give him time to present himself, probably in the first half of April. Officials said the beleaguered businessman informed the ED’s investigating officer through email that he would not be able to keep Friday’s date and sought time till April.

They said after “studying the reply and reasons” cited by Mallya, including a communication he said he made to some agencies earlier that he would be out of India in March, it is likely that he would be given a fresh date.