UK court allows Vijay Mallya to appeal against extradition
London, Jul 2 (UNI): Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday got a breather when the Royal Courts of Justice here approved his plea to appeal against extradition to India where is facing fraud charges.
Mallya is wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges.
If the verdict had gone against him, Mallya would have had to be extradited to India within 28 days.
Indian agencies believe Mallya, 63, has caused loss to Indian banks to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.
In January 2019, Mallya became the first person to be declared a fugitive offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
Mallya flew out of India on March 2, 2016 and his alleged 'fleeing' overseas had turned into a major political issue between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress during the just-concluded 17th Lok Sabha elections.
At the end of a year-long extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London last December, the court had accepted a prima facie case of fraud and conspiracy to launder money against Mallya as presented by the Crown Prosecution Service on behalf of the Indian government.
A consortium of 13 financial institutions led by the state-run State Bank of India had initiated loan recovery proceedings against Mallya before a special court in Mumbai.
On June 6, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar, in response to questions on Mallya and other 'fugitive offenders' Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi had said: ".....our commitment to bring back the economic offenders and fugitives is very strong, we are working in that direction and cooperating and we believe we will be successful".
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