Vijay Mallya misses Mumbai court deadline in fugitive offender case

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has failed to appear before the Mumbai High Court to challenge his designation as a Fugitive Economic Offender. The court had warned it would not hear his petition unless he returned to India in person.

Vijay Mallya, the fugitive former owner of India’s United Breweries and United Spirits, has failed to meet the deadline to appear in person at the Mumbai High Court to challenge his convictions as a Fugitive Economic Offender.

Last week, the court told Mallya that this would be his “last chance” to appear, or it would not hear his case.

Loans linked to Kingfisher Airlines’ collapse

Mallya fled to Britain in March 2016 to avoid arrest for defaulting on £1.15 billion of loans to his failed Kingfisher Airlines enterprise.

He was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender in January 2019 by a special court hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Following the declaration, extradition proceedings against him were initiated.

Extradition stalled by confidential legal matter

However, despite exhausting all legal routes to prevent extradition to India, Mallya remains in Britain until “confidential” legal matters are resolved. That is widely thought to be an application for political asylum.

He contends that the authorities have seized far in excess of the principal amount from his Indian assets and that he will not get a fair trial if extradited.

Mallya informed the court that he was unable to offer a definite date for his return to India as his passport had been revoked and he is barred from leaving England and Wales under orders passed by British courts.

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