In order to bring absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya back to India and face the money laundering probe, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has forwarded a court-issued request to the Ministry of external Affairs (MEA) on February 20.
The Home Ministry has provided the details given by the Mumbai special court which allow the Enforcement Directorate to call for the India-UK Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to bring Mallya back to the country. Further, the MHA requested MEA to forward this request to United Kingdom authorities to extradite Vijay Mallya.
The court approved the ED’s request after going through the probe details carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which stated that Mallya and his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) are alleged to have defrauded IDBI Bank to the tune of about Rs 900 crore.
The CBI too is probing this alleged loan default case under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Earlier on February 9, India handed over an extradition request for the absconding businessman to face trials in India. There are already 15 extradition pleas pending with the British government. The development was confirmed by the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swaroop who had stated that after receiving the request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the request was handed over to the UK high commission in New Delhi.
Also today, the Supreme Court, in its latest decision, has deferred the case of the liquor baron Vijay Mallya till February 27. Mallya was earlier asked by the apex court to file a reply to the consortium of banks who sought deposit of 40 million USD on January 11.
Last year in the month of October, the apex court had heard the plea filed by the SBI-led consortium of banks against beleaguered businessman for recovery of more than Rs 6,000 crore from him. The court also asked Mallya to disclose what he did with $40 million he had received from Diageo. The consortium of banks had approached the apex court seeking its intervention in bringing back Mallya to India and also repayment of money which the beleaguered businessman had taken.
On April 26 too, the Supreme Court had directed Mallya to disclose his assets to the consortium. The banks also said the disclosures made by Mallya on his Indian and overseas properties were “vague”. The banks refuted Mallya’s allegation that all 17 banks did not reject the three proposals made by him for repayment of over Rs 9,000 odd crores in instalments.
Liquor baron and owner of King Fisher Airlines, Vijaya Mallya absconded to United Kingdon in 2016 after being accused of failing to pay his loans worth Rs 9000 crore. Later, the court declared him a proclaimed offender and directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to attach his movable properties.
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