The Enforcement Directorate informed a Delhi court on Friday that fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya, currently facing extradition proceedings in London, last week spoke to Yasmin Kapoor, a close aide of aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar, asking her to “manage his case” in the Enforcement Directorate.

She was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation last September in the same case, after which ED also took her custody, but in connection with a separate case related to causing loss to Air India by favouring private airlines. However, after spending three months in jail, she was granted bail on December 13.

The agency’s special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana made this stunning revelation before Special Central Bureau of Investigation judge Anurag Sain at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Courts while opposing Kapoor’s anticipatory bail in a money laundering probe related to Talwar’s NGO Advantage India. It is alleged that the NGO received ~90.72 crore under the CSR scheme for carrying out social activities but diverted this for some other purpose, with Kapoor playing an important role in the laundering.

ED now wants to arrest Kapoor in the Advantage India case as it believes she is a key link to unearthing a larger conspiracy in Talwar’s deals. It has been alleged that Kapoor was shareholder or director in several shell companies created or controlled by Talwar.

Nitesh Rana, while showing the case files to the judge on Friday, informed the court that Vijay Mallya made a call from London to Yasmin Kapoor, asking her “if she knew ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra” and if she can help “manage his case”. To this, Kapoor told Mallya that she has no acquaintance with the ED director but she knows the “number 2” in the agency. Her phone was put under surveillance by ED.

“Mallya’s call from London to Kapoor is strong evidence against him as well. We will convey to the UK high court in February, when his appeal against extradition comes for hearing, that he is trying to influence the investigation in India,” the officer added.

Mallya did not respond to HT’s email and text queries. Queries sent to his lawyer in London, Anand Doobay on email and WhatsApp remained unanswered till late evening.