Read the fine print

Sir - On a visit to a well-known music store, I was pleasantly surprised to see some LPs, including those of Ustad Amir Khan and Mallikarjun Mansur, and I decided to buy them. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the Amir Khan disc had been rendered by Purabi Mukhopadhyay. The cover, admittedly, bore this information, but it was in too fine a print, literally. A friend of mine informed me that his father had bought him an LP of Debabrata Biswas from the same store near Kalighat metro station. But on opening it, he found that an old disc had been repackaged. These products cost a packet. If this isn't gypping customers, what is?

Soumitra Das,
Calcutta

Missed chance

Sir - While speaking to reporters in London, Vijay Mallya stated that he had met the finance minister, Arun Jaitley, and informed the latter that he was about to leave the country ("The Jaitlag", Sept 13). He also put forward a proposal to clear his outstanding dues with banks in India.

Although unable to deny most of what Mallya said, Jaitley tried to play down the conversation by referring to it as a single sentence. Even if one were to believe Jaitley - his claim has been challenged by sources within the Congress - how can the finance minister of the country, knowing that Mallya owes crores of rupees to Indian banks, brush aside this 'single sentence'? Should he not have taken some action? If indeed Mallya had informed Jaitley about his decision to leave the country - as Jaitley has not countered this claim, one is forced to believe that it might be true - why did the minister not contact the Central Bureau of Investigation?

It is absurd that a dilution of a look-out notice issued against Mallya allowed him to escape from the country, allegedly along with 54 pieces of luggage. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which leaves no opportunity to boast of a corruption-free government, owes an explanation to the nation.

Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai

Sir - The fact that Arun Jaitley conveniently did not mention to the authorities the conversation he had with Vijay Mallya just before the businessman left for London proves the former's complicity in the case. As an elected leader, and the head of ministries whose agencies were investigating Mallya at the time, it was his duty to share this information with the right departments so that Mallya could be intercepted.

The excuses being given now are meaningless. The lack of a court order does not stop the government from preventing people from leaving the country. Unfortunately, rich industrialists and ministers are often in cohorts; with the latter turning a blind eye to questionable financial dealings of influential people. Whether it is the Saradha scandal or the more recent Nirav Modi case, money seems to hold sway over the law.

R. Banerjee,
Calcutta

Sir - While the political slugfest continues over Vijay Mallya's meeting with Arun Jaitley, a recent disclosure by a senior advocate, Dushyant Dave, has added a new dimension to Mallya's escape. Dave stated that in spite of his legal advice, Mallya's largest lender, the State Bank of India, did not approach the Supreme Court in time to get an order restraining Mallya's overseas travel. The then SBI chairperson, Arundhati Bhattacharya, later said that she was no longer with the SBI, directing all queries at the present management. This does not absolve her of her culpability in the matter. She is clearly being evasive.

It seems like too much of a coincidence that Mallya fled the country on the same day that a consortium of banks moved court to recover Mallya's debts. One thus concurs with the suspicion of former attorney-general, Mukul Rohatgi, that Mallya was tipped off. The entire system appears to have bent over backwards to help Mallya flee the country. Now, it would only be right to file a public interest litigation before the Supreme Court for a court-monitored investigation into Mallya's mysterious departure from the country, so as to bring those colluding with him to justice.

S.K. Choudhury,
Bangalore

Sir - After two long years of silence, Arun Jaitley has admitted that he had met the fugitive, Vijay Mallya, before the tycoon fled the country. Now that he has openly confirmed the inaction on his part, his callousness cannot be ignored.

Benu Kumar Bose,
Calcutta