By taking passport or arresting me, they won't get any money, Mallya to UK paper

London: Loans defaulter Vijay Mallya said he is in "forced exile" and has no plans to leave Britain. He also wants a "reasonable" settlement with banks he allegedly owes Rs 9,000 crores to, he said in an interview in London published by the Financial Times on Friday.

"We have always been in dialogue with banks saying: 'We wish to settle'. But we wish to settle at a reasonable number that we can afford and banks can justify on the basis of settlements done before," Mallya told the newspaper in London.

Read: ED seeks to recall exemption given to Vijay Mallya

Mallya, 60, flew first class from Delhi to London on March 2 at a time when the government and a 17-bank consortium are trying to recover the money owed by his collapsed Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

"By taking my passport or arresting me, they are not getting any money," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Read: Disclose asset details of Vijay Mallya, kin: Supreme Court

India wrote to the British government on Thursday seeking the deportation of the liquor tycoon and Formula 1 motor racing boss, who is now also the target of a non-bailable warrant in a money laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate. Mallya has denied any wrongdoing.

Read: India seeks liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s deportation from UK

"I am absolutely not guilty of any of these preposterous charges of diverting funds from Kingfisher, buying properties or stuff like that," Mallya told the Financial Times. A spokesman for Mallya's UB Group said he had no further comment to make when contacted by Reuters.