Legal Issues Pending On Vijay Mallya Extradition : Centre Tells Supreme Court

The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that "further legal issues" remained before fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya could be extradited from the United Kingdom to India. A Special Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice UU Lalit had previously directed the Union Government to file a status report on the progress in the extradition process pending in the United Kingdom. Today, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta submitted to the Court that the UK government had informed the Ministry of External Affairs that they were aware of the importance of the matter, however, legal complexities were preventing extradition. "We are trying our best. Status remains the same. From political executive level to administrative level, the matter is being looked into repeatedly at the highest level", stated the SG.Accordingly, the Bench proceeded to adjourn the matter to March 15.In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court asked the Union Government to file a status report in six weeks on the progress of extradition process pending in the United Kingdom with respect to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya . A Bench of Justices Lalit & Ashok Bhushan further adjourned sentence hearing on contempt case against Mallya to the third week of January 2021. On August 31, the Supreme Court had directed the 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. Later, on October 5, the Centre told the Supreme Court that "secret" extradition process was going on to bring fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to the country but it was not aware about its status. The Centre also told the Top Court that it was not a party to the proceedings. 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. On August 31, the Top Court had dismissed the review petition filed by Mallya in 2017 against the contempt verdict. Before that, the bench had sought for a written explanation from the Registry for not listing the review petition for over three years. 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.

Legal Issues Pending On Vijay Mallya Extradition : Centre Tells Supreme Court

Radhika Roy

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