Property worth 13,000 crore attached; where's justice?: Mallya

Agencies

February 1, 2019

New Delhi, Feb 1: Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Friday claimed his group's properties worth over Rs 13,000 crore have been attached, more than the 'claimed' Rs 9,000 crore that he "ran away with" asking where is justice and how far will it go.

In a series of tweets, Mallya, who intends to appeal against a UK court's extradition verdict, also claimed that the banks to which he owes money "have given an open licence to their Lawyers in England to pursue multiple frivolous litigations against" him questioning the "brazen" spending of "public money on legal fees".

"Every morning I wake up to yet another attachment by the DRT (debt recovery tribunal) recovery officer. Value already crossed (Rs) 13,000 crore. Banks claim dues including all interest of (Rs) 9,000 crore which is subject to review. How far will this go and well beyond? Justified??", Mallya tweeted.

He further said the DRT recovery officer recently attached his group's assets worth over Rs 13,000 crore in India on behalf of the consortium of banks.

"Yet the narrative is that I ran away with the claimed amount of (Rs) 9000 crore causing loss to the public sector banks. Where is Justice or fair play?," he asked.

The embattled liquor baron further said "despite all the attachments in India, banks have given an open licence to their lawyers in England to pursue multiple frivolous litigations against me. Who is accountable for spending public money on legal fees in such a brazen manner?"

Mallya also claimed that the banks' lawyers in England have objected in writing to his paying "my legitimate tax dues to HMRC which I requested".

"Irony is, Indian state banks want my money in England to settle an Indian debt already secured and deny payment to the UK. tax exchequer. Disgraceful," he added.

Last year in December Westminster Magistrates' Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had ruled in favour of extradition of Mallya, who is wanted in India for alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore.

Later on, he had stated that he intended to file an application to appeal against a British court's verdict.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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