Jet Airways news: ‘Was a formidable competitor at Jet’, Vijay Mallya condoles Anita Goyal’s demise

Indian fugitive former businessman Vijay Mallya condoled the demise of Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal who passed away around 3 am on Thursday after battling cancer.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mallya wrote, “My heartfelt condolences to the Goyal family on the sad passing of Anita. She was a formidable competitor at Jet but a lovely human being.”

He further trained guns at Naresh Goyal, saying “I am also sad that Naresh is enduring what he is given his creation of Jet, a worthy and long standing competitor to KFA. Both India’s finest airlines are sadly no more. Wonder why ? May truth prevail eventually.”

Anita Goyal dies at 70

Anita's health had been declining over the past few months, with medical reports indicating she was battling third-stage cancer. She is survived by her husband, Naresh, and their two children, Namrata and Nivaan.

The Bombay High Court recently granted the couple a two-month interim bail on medical grounds in a money laundering case. Naresh, 75, had sought bail on both medical and humanitarian grounds as he is also a cancer patient.

During the hearing, Goyal's lawyer, senior advocate Harish Salve, made an appeal on humanitarian grounds, emphasizing Goyal's physical and mental challenges, especially in light of his wife's illness. Salve noted that Goyal had opted for chemotherapy over more invasive surgery to remain by his wife's side during her treatment.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Jet Airways of borrowing funds from a consortium of 10 banks to manage its daily operations, while still owing ₹6,000 crore to these banks. 

A forensic audit revealed that ₹1,152 crore was diverted under the guise of consultancy and professional fees, and another ₹2,547.83 crore was funneled to its sister concern, Jet Lite Limited, to settle its loan, according to the ED.

Naresh Goyal was arrested by the ED in September 2023, facing allegations of money laundering and misappropriation of loans totaling ₹538.62 crore, which had been provided to Jet Airways by Canara Bank.