Former business tycoon Vijay Mallya on Tuesday (11) sought an Indian court to scrap Indian federal probe agency’s petition to declare him as a fugitive on the grounds of an extradition order passed against him by a UK court on Monday (10).
India’s federal law enforcement and economic intelligence agency, Enforcement Directorate (ED) had moved a special court in India seeking to declare Mallya a fugitive under country’s the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA).
Mallya’s lawyer, Amit Desai sought the special judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases M S Azmi that in view of the London magistrate's order, the ED's petition against Mallya should be dismissed.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday ruled that Mallya, wanted for Rs 90 billion loans default by his firms and facing charges of fraud and money laundering, be extradited to India.
In an argument, Mallya’s lawyer stated that his client did not leave the country secretly as claimed by the ED in its petition to the court. "There was no secret departure. He left the country to attend a planned meeting (of World Motor Sport in Geneva)," Mallya’s lawyer said.
Mallya was a non-resident Indian (NRI) and has a residence in London and his locations were known to the lenders and probe agencies, Mallya’s lawyer added.
Former liquor baron was ready to surrender in the UK where he had been staying for 28 years, but he couldn’t be put in hands of agencies which were reluctant to follow the procedures, Desai added.
Mallya’s lawyer has wound up his arguments and the advocate representing ED is expected to deliver his arguments before the special court on Wednesday (11).
