State Bank of India, which leads a consortium of 17 lenders of Kingfisher Airlines, on Thursday refuted the allegation that the banks were late in taking action against the airline and its promoter Vijay Mallya.
The statement comes amidst the uproar in Parliament on Thursday over Mallya leaving the country. Kingfisher owes the banks over Rs 9,000 crore.
There were media reports that SBI, advised by a Delhi-based law firm to move the Supreme Court, High Courts or Debt Recovery Tribunals to stop Mallya from going abroad towards the end 666of last month, didn’t act promptly.
“As the leader of the consortium, we strongly deny media reports,” SBI said in a statement. Yesterday the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi informed the Supreme Court that Mallya left the country on March 2.