Bangalore: The Customs department today (Nov 3, 2004) said no formal demand for any customs duties or fulfilling of import licensing formalities have as yet been made on liquor baron Vijay Mallya for the sword of Tipu Sultan that he brought from Britain, after buying it in an auction there.

"He has only been asked to confirm the value of the sword. The department got in touch with Mallya only to conclude the customs assessment of this import and his response is awaited," a statement from the Office of the Commissioner of Customs in Bangalore said.

In case Mallya obtains a duty exemption from the Government of India for this import, the benefit of such exemption would be extended to him and the assessment finalised accordingly, it said.

Mallya had brought the sword, which was taken away in 1799 after the fall of Srirangapatnam in the battle, in which Tippu Sultan was killed, about six months ago.

The reported demand for duty on the sword on the ground that it was an 'imported antique' had drawn flak, with Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Shukla writing to Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, saying he was aghast that the sword, which was a proud legacy of Indian history, was "handled by the customs in such a cavalier manner."

Mallya, who had brought the sword with much fanfare before the Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls, had also flayed the customs demand as 'ridiculous'.