Decision to change LOC against Vijay Mallya was not taken by any individual: CBI

New Delhi, Sep 15: Under fire for changing the nature of the Look out Circular against Vijay Mallya which allowed him to leave the country, the CBI on Saturday said the decision was taken as there were "not sufficient grounds" at that time to detain the liquor baron.

The Congress and the other opposition parties are attacking the Centre over changing the Look out Circular against Vijay Mallya, alleging that there was a political intervention in it. CBI said that no individual official was involved in the decision on LOC as it was part of a process.

"As has been stated a no.of times earlier, the decision to change LOC against Vijay Mallya was taken as at the time there was not sufficient grounds for CBI to detain and arrest him. The decision was taken at appropriate level as a part of process individually by the officer as alleged," a CBI statement said today, as per ANI reports.

While the first LOC issued in 2016 stated that Mallya be detained if he is trying to leave the country, the second only said that the agencies be informed about his travel plans abroad.

At the time of the incident, officials had blamed the change in LOC on an error. However later on the CBI clarified that the nature of the LOC changed because there was not enough evidence against Mallya.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a fresh attack on the BJP over Vijay Mallya. He alleged that the lookout notice for Mallya was changed on the approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Taking to twitter Rahul wrote "Mallya's Great Escape was aided by the CBI quietly changing the "Detain" notice for him, to "Inform". The CBI reports directly to the PM. It is inconceivable that the CBI, in such a high profile, controversial case, would change a lookout notice without the approval of the PM."