Sunday Guardian newspaper publishes email trail of its interview with liquor baron Vijay Mallya

Mallya, ex-owner of Kingfisher Airlines, is under fire in an alleged loan default case amounting to Rs 9,000 crores and has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it on March 18 as part of its money laundering probe. The liquor baron had left India on March 2 and his location is not known currently.

Shocked to see media statements that I gave an interview to Sunday Guardian without verification.I have not given any statement to anyone.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

The newspaper said Mallya responded to its email questionnaire from his protonmail account, which the newspaper claims was confirmed by his legal counsel’s office. While the questionnaire was sent to him on March 10, Mallya responded on March 12, the newspaper added.

The email trail of the Sunday Guardian interview with Vijay Mallya (Courtesy of Sunday Guardian)

But Mallya firmly denied on Twitter that he has a protonmail account and added that he has never heard of it.

Shocked to see Sunday Guardian’s claim that I exchanged mails with them from my protonmail account. Have never heard of protonmail before.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Never ever had nor do I have a protonmail e-mail account. As I said earlier I have never ever heard of protonmail.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

Sunday Guardian’s claim that I wrote to them from my so called protonmail account to the reporters protonmail account is a total fake.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 14, 2016

In the email excerpts put out by the Sunday Guardian, Mallya is quoted as saying to a question of whether he will return to India as, “I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I’ll get a fair chance to present my side. I’ve already been branded as the criminal. I do not feel the time is right. I feel passions are high. People need to think rationally. They need to understand that business, whether large or small, has risks involved. I’ve seen the highest to the lowest points in this matter. But I hope that I return one day. India has given me everything. It has made me Vijay Mallya.”

The email trail also shows Mallya refusing to give details of his whereabouts, saying, he ‘want to feel safe.’