SC Asks Centre To Ensure Vijay Mallya's Presence Before Court On October 5 [Read Order]
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate and ensure the presence of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya before it on 5th October, for hearing on sentence in the 2017 contempt case against him. Mallya, who is presently facing extradition proceedings in the UK, was held guilty of contempt of court vide order dated May 9, 2017, for...
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate and ensure the presence of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya before it on 5th October, for hearing on sentence in the 2017 contempt case against him.
Mallya, who is presently facing extradition proceedings in the UK, was held guilty of contempt of court vide order dated May 9, 2017, for transferring money to his children in violation of the Court's order.
The Bench comprising Justices Uday Umesh Lalit and Ashok Bhushan dismissed his plea for review of the contempt verdict today and ordered thus:
"Now that the Review Petitions are dismissed, we direct respondent No.3 to appear before this Court on 05.10.2020 at 02:00 p.m. and also direct the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi to facilitate and ensure the presence of respondent No.3 before this Court on that day."
Mallya left India on March 2, 2016 in the wake of cases registered by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, for alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore.
In January 2019, he was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender by the India Government under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act 2018.
Pursuant to a request from the Indian Government, the Senior District Judge (SDJ) at the Westminster Magistrate's Court had, in December 2018, ordered Mallya to be extradited back to India so he could face charges of financial irregularities.
Mallya preferred an appeal to this order in February 2020 which came to be dismissed by a two judge Bench comprising of Lord Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in April this year.
In May, the UK High Court rejected his application to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against extradition proceedings.