Paying my staff despite lockdown: Vijay Mallya seeks Centre's Help

London: Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya said all his companies had ceased operations and sought help from the Indian government in sending employees of his company home.

Vijay Mallya took to Twitter to post: "Indian Government has done what was unthinkable in locking down the entire country. We respect that. All my Companies have effectively ceased operations. All manufacturing is closed as well. Yet we are not sending employees home and paying the idle cost. The government has to help."

The liquor baron, who has been accused of diversion of funds from Kingfisher Airlines in another post said: "I have made repeated offers to pay 100 per cent of the amount borrowed by KFA to the Banks. Neither are Banks willing to take money and neither is the ED willing to release their attachments which they did at the behest of the Banks. I wish the FM (Finance Minister) would listen in this time of crisis."

Last month the Supreme Court adjourned the plea of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, seeking a stay on the proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to declare him a fugitive economic offender and confiscate his assets amounting to Rs 9,000 crores.

The matter, however, was scheduled to be heard in March after the Holi break of the court.

The 63-year-old beleaguered businessmen flew out from India in March 2016 and have been living in the United Kingdom since then.