How much has govt spent to bring back Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi; CBI refuses to divulge

Claiming immunity from disclosures under the RTI Act, The CBI has refused to share details of expenses incurred in attempts made to bring back Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya.

Mallya, wanted in India on charges of Rs 9,000-crore fraud, is currently in London. He escaped from India days before banks approached the courts to stop him from leaving the country. Mallya had fled the country in March 2016 and owes close to Rs 9,000 crores to the banks.

Lalit Modi too faces charges of swindling money, including siphoning off Rs 125 crore from the BCCI. The ED is pursuing 17 cases of financial impropriety against Lalit and other former office bearers of the Board of Control for Cricket In India-Indian Premier League (BCCI-IPL) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Lalit Modi left India in 2010. He did not return despite a series of summons by investigating agencies, prompting courts to issue non-bailable warrants and sanction for initiating extradition proceedings.

Pune-based activist Vihar Dhurve had filed an RTI seeking details of expenses incurred by the government to bring both of these absconders back. In its response to the RTI plea, the CBI said it is exempt from making any disclosures under the RTI Act through a government notification of 2011.

OneIndia New with PTI inputs