Vijay Mallya’s Extradition Not Possible Until ‘Confidential’ Legal Issue Resolved, Says UK Govt

Business tycoon Vijay Mallya will not be extradited anytime soon as there is a legal issue involved, the UK government said on June 4. Mallya was denied permission in May, 2020 to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom against an extradition order by the High Court in London. Confidential legal issue needs to be resolved before Vijay Mallya’s extradition can be arranged, informed the spokesperson. UK Supreme Court had upheld a 2018 ruling to extradite Mallya to India to face fraud charges resulting from the collapse of his defunct company Kingfisher Airlines. As per UK's Extradition Act, an individual has to be extradited within 28 days of an order by a high court or Supreme Court. Vijay Mallya fled to Britain in March 2016 after facing accusations of financial irregularities amounting to over Rs 9,000 crore. Authorities argue Mallya had no intention of repaying the loans. Vijay Mallya denies the charges against him and is currently on bail. He recently tweeted that Indian banks can take back 100 per cent of the principal amount owed to them. Mallya’s extradition would be a huge win for PM Modi, who has faced pressure from political opponents to bring back defaulters who have fled India in recent years to escape prosecution.