'Probe delay in possession of Mallya's Goa villa'

PAJI, March 12: The delay by the North Goa district administration to possess beleaguered billioire Vijay Mallya’s palatial Kingfisher villa located at the upscale Candolim beach village should be probed, an independent Goa legislator said on Saturday.

According to MLA Vijai Sardesai, it should be checked which official or politician ensured that the prime piece of real estate could not be taken over by banks, he said.

“The delay has to be probed. It is not the opposition, but the SBI (State Bank of India) chairperson who is saying that the North Goa Collector did not follow procedure and delayed possession of the Kingfisher villa,” he said.

“This government is working overtime to ensure that billioires like Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya flee the country,” said Sardesai while addressing a press conference along with other members of the Opposition ahead of the budget session of the Goa legislative assembly that begins on Monday.

SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya told a tiol TV channel on Friday that the district collector had allegedly tried to drag the hearings related to the possession of Mallya’s Goa villa, before going on leave. (IANS)