Vijay Mallya is accused of defrauding Indian banks of about Rs 9000 crore. His deportation to India may end a long-fought battle against him launched by Indian investigation agencies.
Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya may be extradited back to India anytime, says a report by news agency IANS. The news agency has quoted sources in the government to say that the liquor baron may land in Mumbai soon. IANS said that Vijay Mallya had exhausted all legal options available to him. The agency quoted a top government source as saying that Mallya could be extradited “anytime in the coming days”
However, an official confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) or Government of India is still awaited.
Vijay Mallya is accused of defrauding various Indian banks of Rs 9000 crores.
When he will be brought to India, he will be accompanied by officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said IANS. Both the agencies are likely to vie for custody of Vijay Mallya.
Vijay Mallya is the owner of now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Vijay Mallya’s foray into the airline business proved to be his undoing.
As debts piled up, Vijay Mallya fled the country and went to UK on March 2, 2016. In January 2019, he was declared fugitive economic offender.
Hearing Mallya’s plea in August 2018, a UK court had asked the Indian investigative agencies to share details of prison where he would be kept after extradition. The agencies had then shared video of the cell at the Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai, where they planned to keep Mallya after extradition.
The agencies had also informed the UK court that post-extradition Mallya would be lodged in one of the high security barracks located in a two-storey building at the Arthur Road Jail complex.
The Arthur Road jail has housed some notorious names from the underworld and the terror outfits. Ajmal Kasab, the sole terrorist arrested for the 26/11 Mumbai attack, was kept in this high security cell. Abu Salem, Chota Rajan, Mustafa Dossa, Peter Mukherjea and the Rs 13,500 crore PNB fraud accused Vipul Ambani are or were housed there.
Mallya has already lost his appeal in the UK top court on May 14 against extradition to India.
