New Delhi, June 4: The extradition of former liquor baron Vijay Mallya is likely to be delayed due to an impending legal hurdle, suggested the British High Commission in India. A spokesperson of the top UK diplomatic body, based in Delhi, told reporters on Thursday that the issue is "confidential" and would restrict Mallya's extradition till it is resolved. Vijay Mallya Shares Kingfisher Lockdown the King of Good Times Ad Video, Twitterati Asks ‘When Are You Coming Back to India?’

"Vijay Mallya last month lost his appeal against extradition, and was refused leave to appeal further to the UK Supreme Court. However, there is a further legal issue that needs resolving before his extradition can be arranged," the spokesperson for British High Commission in India said.

"Under UK law, extradition can't take place until legal issue resolved.The issue is confidential and we can't go into any detail. We can't estimate how long this issue will take to resolve. We are seeking to deal with this as quickly as possible," the spokesperson further added.

Update by ANI

Mallya, accused of defaulting to loans above Rs 9,000 crore taken from Indian banks, lost his plea challenging a lower court's extradition order earlier this year. His petition to move the Supreme Court against the order was struck down by the UK High Court last month.

With all his legal options exhausted, it was expected that Mallya could be extradited soon. A consortium of 17 Indian banks, including public and private lenders, are awaiting his return to settle their dues. The former chief of United Breweries has offered to settle the case outside the court. His offer, however, was denied by the Indian government as well as the consortium of lenders.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2020 03:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).