Vijay Mallya is a gentleman, not a crook: Farooq Abdullah

New Delhi, Mar 11: National Conference patron and former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah known for his outspoken ways termed liquor baron and defunct Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya a gentleman.

His praise has come hours after Mallya declared himself not an absconder.

"Why should Vijay Mallya be arrested? He will come back and answer. He is a Gentleman not a crook," said Farooq Abdullah.

"I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish," tweeted Vijay Mallya.

SBI, which leads the consortium of 17 banks that lent money to the grounded Kingfisher Airlines, had moved DRT against the airline's chairman Mallya in its bid to recover over Rs 7,000 crore of dues from him.

OneIndia News