Beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya has hit out at SEBI for barring him from securities market with regard to alleged fund diversion from United Spirits and termed the charges “baseless”. 

Mallya, in a series of tweets, called the allegations of fund diversion concerning now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines a “joke” and said he is getting used to “witch hunts coming from all directions with no legal basis whatsoever”.

He further said: 

On Wednesday, SEBI had barred Mallya and six others from the securities market in a case related to alleged fund diversions from United Spirits, a company which the tycoon promoted before selling to Diageo. He had resigned as director and Chairman of USL in March 2016.

Mallya alleged that there is a witch-hunt against him by the government.

Claiming Kingfisher Airlines “was a great public utility service connecting India like never before” he said, “It was not my private toy.”

Mallya, who is now staying in London, also scoffed at suggestions that he had fled the country in the wake of the investigations against him saying his departure was “nothing sudden. I have been a non resident since 1988”.

(Feature image source: PTI)