Vijay Mallya's 'great escape': CBI rejects Rahul Gandhi's allegations against its officer of helping liquor baron

Sep 15 (AZINS) CBI on Saturday rejected Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Jt Director AK Sharma helped embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya in fleeing India.

‘As has been stated a number of times earlier, decision to change the Lookout Notice against Vijay Mallya was taken at that time due to lack of sufficient grounds for the CBI to detain and arrest him,’ the probe agency said in a statement.

Defending Sharma, the CBI said that the decision regarding notice against Mallya was taken at an appropriate level as a part of process and not individually by the officer as alleged.

Apart from Mallya, the the investigation agency also issued clarification regarding Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

‘The CBI received complaint against Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi from PNB almost a month after they had left the country. Therefore the question of any CBI officer having any hand in their fleeing the country does not arise,’ the agency said.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had alleged that it was the "blue-eyed boy" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the CBI who weakened the lookout notice against fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya and allowed him to flee the country.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi alleged that it was AK Sharma, a Gujarat-cadre officer in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who played a crucial role in weakening the lookout notice against Mallya. He also alleged that the same officer played a key role in the escape plans of fugitive diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

"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)," he wrote on the microblogging website.