Vijay Mallya victim of arrogance, says G R Gopinath
Gopinath is credited with making flying affordable through the no-frills airline.
Mumbai: Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) founder Vijay Mallya is a “victim of flamboyance and arrogance rather than any political conspiracy”, Air Deccan chairman G.R. Gopinath has said. Mr Gopinath, who is credited with making flying affordable through the no-frills airline, also said that the prevalent regulations “forced” KFA to acquire his company.
He sold Air Deccan to KFA for a total consideration of '1,000 crore in 2007, during the heydays of the aviation sector. “I think he (Mr Mallya) has become more a victim of flamboyance and arrogance than of any political conspiracy,” Mr Gopinath told PTI. The near-bankrupt Kingfisher Airlines has been grounded since 2012 and owes banks over Rs 9,000 crore, far less than bigger defaults in sectors like metals and infrastructure.
A regular at partying circles, Mr Mallya, whose interests include F1 and an annual calendar, moved to London amid growing attention from the Indian law enforcement agencies and courts. He has now become the poster-boy of defaults.