Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India opposition leader seeks finance minister's resignation over Mallya case

The leader of India's opposition Congress Party has called for the resignation of finance minister Arun Jaitley over what he termed an act of "collusion" in the case of Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya - an accusation Jaitley denies.

India wants to extradite the 62-year-old businessman from Britain to face criminal action relating to loans taken out by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, and Indian authorities want to recover about $1.4 billion they say Kingfisher owes.


Mallya told media outside a London court where his case was being heard on Wednesday that he had met Jaitley to settle matters before he left the country, sparking accusations from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government was in a position to prevent him leaving the country.

"Vijay Mallya was given a free passage by the finance minister," Gandhi told a press conference on Thursday of the perceived missed opportunity.

Jaitley denied any settlement had been reached in a Facebook post on Wednesday, saying he had declined to hold an audience with Mallya by telling him there was "no point talking to me".

"There is no question of my having ever given him an appointment to meet me," Jaitley said in the post.

A spokesman for Jaitley declined to comment further on Thursday.

Dozens of people have fled India in recent years to escape prosecution in an array of cases, many of them loan defaults, and prime minister Narendra Modi's government has faced pressure from political opponents to bring them to justice.

In July, parliament approved a legislation to seize assets of fugitives accused of crimes involving sums over 1 billion rupees ($14 million), as a way to put pressure on them.

Gandhi urged Modi to order an independent probe into Mallya's alleged meeting with Jaitley before he left the country and said until the probe was completed Jaitley must step down.

The court in London said it will give its decision on Dec. 10 on whether Mallya can be sent back to India.

More For You

Weaker labour market data sparks debate on rate cuts

The Bank of England is weighing inflation signals ahead of rate call

Weaker labour market data sparks debate on rate cuts

PAY growth in Britain slowed sharply and unemployment rose to its highest level in nearly four years in the three months to April, official figures showed on Tuesday (10), potentially reducing the Bank of England’s (BoE) caution over further interest rate cuts.

Wage growth excluding bonuses slowed to 5.2 per cent, the weakest pace since the three months to September, and fell more than expected from 5.5 per cent in January to March this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
London Tech Week: Indian firms show investment intent

Keir Starmer at London Tech Week in London on Monday (9)

London Tech Week: Indian firms show investment intent

MORE THAN 350 technology companies from India joined London Tech Week, which began on Monday – making it the largest-ever delegation from the country to attend the event.

London mayor Sadiq Khan’s office, City Hall, described the rise in Indian participation as a reflection of deepening ties between India and London’s tech sectors, following the recent signing of the India– UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Keep ReadingShow less
London Tech Week

The discussion around inclusivity and parenthood is likely to remain in the spotlight.

Getty Images

London Tech Week: Woman entrepreneur says she was humiliated after being denied entry for bringing baby

A female entrepreneur has said she felt “absolutely humiliated” after being denied entry to London Tech Week because she was accompanied by her 18-month-old daughter.

Davina Schonle, founder and chief executive of AI start-up Humanvantage AI, had travelled from her home to attend the event at Olympia on Monday, 10 June. She said she had made a three-hour journey to London with her daughter, Isabella, only to be turned away on arrival because children were not allowed into the venue.

Keep ReadingShow less
Smartless Mobile launched by podcast trio

The move marks the first commercial spin-off from the Smartless podcast

Getty Images

Smartless podcast trio launches Smartless Mobile as low-cost phone service

The hosts of the popular Smartless podcast, actors Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, have launched a new mobile phone service in the United States. Called Smartless Mobile, the service offers a budget-friendly alternative to traditional phone plans and is aimed at users who spend most of their time connected to WiFi.

The move marks the first commercial spin-off from the Smartless podcast, which is known for its celebrity interviews and humorous tone. The new venture was announced in early June 2025 and has already begun accepting sign-ups across the US mainland and Puerto Rico.

Keep ReadingShow less