Supreme Court proposes to go ahead with hearing on sentence in contempt proceeding against Vijay Mallya

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

Noting that it can’t wait any longer for extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya’s extradition from the UK, the Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to go ahead with the proceedings to decide the quantum of sentence to be awarded to him for contempt of court.

“We cannot wait anymore now. Proceedings for extradition have attained finality and the respondent no. 3 (Mallya) has exhausted all avenues of appeal in the United Kingdom…The matter (sentencing in contempt case) shall be dealt with finally on January 18, 2022,” a Bench led by Justice UU Lalit said.

It appointed senior advocate Jaideep Gupta as an amicus curiae to assist it in the case.

Mallya, an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, has been in the UK since March 2016. He is on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017.

The top court had earlier dismissed his plea seeking review of the 2017 verdict which held him guilty of contempt for transferring USD 40 million to his children in violation of court orders. On August 31 last year, the top court had directed Mallya to appear before it on October 5, 2020.

The Centre had on January 18 told the Supreme Court that it was making all efforts to extradite fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya from the UK but the process was taking time due to legal issues involved.

Listing the matter for disposal on January 18, the top court said if Mallya wanted to take part in the proceedings personally, he would be here through the extradition proceedings and in case he was not, it will hear the submissions of his lawyer.