Put Vijay Mallya behind bars: Manish Tewari

Backing the petition filed by defunct Kingfisher Airlines seeking liquor baron Vijay Mallya's arrest, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday said that the businessman should be put behind bars and that an audit should be conducted on his parliamentary records.

"Why don't they put Vijay Mallya behind bars just the way the Sahara chief was sent? He should be made to pay his dues and such people shouldn't be allowed to escape the rigours of law. After all, it is the public money which they have to pay back. There are hundreds of employees whose past wages Mallya has to pay," Tewari told ANI here.

He also asserted that eventually there needs to be a strict 'zero tolerance policy' towards wilful evaders like Mallya.

Pointing a finger at similar people who have managed to 'wiggle their way into the Rajya Sabha', Tewari added that their parliamentary records should be audited.

"Their parliamentary records should be audited and it should be put in the public space as to what they have contributed to Parliament during their long stays," he said.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court ordered issue of notice Mallya and his defunct Kingfisher Airlines and nine other respondents on a petition filed by bankers, including SBI, seeking his arrest and impounding of his passport for defaulting on loans.

Thirteen bankers, including SBI approached the high court seeking arrest of Mallya and impounding of his passport along with two other pleas after they moved the DRT to take up their pleas on a priority basis.

Meanwhile, employees of defunct Kingfisher Airlines have written an angry letter to Mallya saying that he has "blood on his hands."