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Jet
Airways claims that it was the lack of government approvals
that led to its deal with Sahara to collapse. But CNBC-TV18
learns that there were other "disturbing facts"
that may have prompted Jet not to extend the deal deadline.
Jet
hasn't come clean on why it terminated the agreement with
Air Sahara apart from citing the lack of government approvals.
But
CNBC TV18 learns that there were other "disturbing
facts" due to which it refused to extend the deal
deadline. In June this year, two days before the deal
deadline, Sahara wrote to Jet requesting a second extension.
In
its letter, Sahara asked for a 15-day extension to satisfy
two unfulfilled conditions in the agreement obtaining
government approval and receiving a no-objection certification.
But
Jet flatly refused. In his response to Sahara, Jet Airways
executive director Saroj Dutta said the share purchase
agreement did not contain any provision for a further
extension But here's where the tale twists. Dutta went
on to say, "Further and in any case from what is
stated above, in the light of disturbing facts that have
recently come to light, we are not in a position to agree
to any extension."
Never
before has Jet made a public mention of any such disturbing
information that could have caused it to rethink the deal.
All along the airline's stance has been, "lack of
government approvals" forced the deal apart.
So
what could these disturbing facts be? Did something transpire
between Naresh Goyal and Subroto Roy? Did Jet come upon
these "disturbing facts" while running Sahara
from the first half of this year from January to June?
Did Jet find bigger holes in the Sahara balance sheet
than it had anticipated?
Jet
may finally have to share more on the "disturbing
facts that came to light" and caused the deal to
collapse.
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