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PM's favourite in CBI helped Mallya, Choksi flee: Rahul

Last Updated 16 December 2018, 18:19 IST

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “blue-eyed boy” in the CBI diluted the notice against disgraced businessman Vijay Mallya that allowed him to flee from the country without paying loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.

Rahul also alleged that the same CBI officer – Joint Director A K Sharma – also played a key role in allowing diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi's escape from the country.

Within hours, the CBI issued a statement rebutting Rahul's allegations as “baseless” and reiterated that the lookout notice against Mallya was changed as there “was not sufficient grounds for the CBI to detain and arrest him”

“The decision was taken at the appropriate level as part of the process and not individually by the officer as alleged,” a CBI spokesperson said.

Keeping up his attack on Modi, the Congress President drew links between Sharma – a Gujarat-cadre officer – and the Prime Minister.

“CBI Jt. Director, A K Sharma, weakened Mallya's 'Look Out' notice, allowing Mallya to escape. Mr Sharma, a Gujarat cadre officer, is the PM's blue-eyed-boy in the CBI. The same officer was in charge of Nirav Modi & Mehul Choksi's escape plans. Ooops...investigation! (sic),” Rahul said on Twitter.

A CBI spokesperson also rejected Rahul's allegations on Sharma's role in the escape of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and that it had received a complaint against the duo from the Punjab National Bank almost a month after they left the country.

“Therefore, the question of any CBI officer having any hand in their fleeing the country does not arise. Prompt action was taken by the CBI in the case after the complaint was received from the bank,” the investigating agency said.

Meanwhile, the Congress continued its attack on the Modi government and claimed that it had helped in the escape of at least 23 banking fugitives during the four years it has been in office.

“It is clear that BJP is more loyal to 'Con-Man' than to the 'Common Man'. BJP provides an escape route to all willful defaulters looking to run away with public money,” Congress spokesman Jaiveer Shergill said.

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(Published 15 September 2018, 15:20 IST)

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