SC directs MHA to 'facilitate & ensure' Vijay Mallya's presence before court on October 10

Hours after dismissing Vijay Mallya's review petition, the Supreme Court has directed the wanted fugitive to be present before the top court on October 5 at 2:00 PM. The apex court has also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to 'facilitate and ensure' Mallya's presence on an aforementioned day. The economic fugitive has been in the United Kingdom since March 2016.

"Now that review petitions are dismissed, we direct respondent no. 3 (Mallya) to appear before this court on 05.10.2020 at 2:00 pm and also direct the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi to facilitate and ensure presence of respondent no.3 before this court on that day," the SC said on Monday.

SC dismisses Mallya's plea

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's review plea challenging the contempt of court conviction against him announcing that there was 'no merit' found in his plea. Vijay Mallya had sought a review of the apex court's 2017 order which held him in contempt for transferring USD 40 million to his children. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed his review petition challenging the verdict on the account of 'no merit' in Mallya’s review plea.  Mallya has also been accused in a bank loan default case amounting to over Rs 9,000 crores.

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"In our considered view, the attempt on part of the respondent no. 3 (Vijay Mallya) to have re-hearing in the matter cannot be permitted nor do the submissions make out any 'error apparent on record' to justify interference in review jurisdiction," the Bench comprising of Justices Uday Umesh Lalit and Ashok Bhushan said while dismissing his plea. 

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India seeks Mallya's extradition

Vijay Mallya has been in the United Kingdom since March 2016 and remains on bail on an extradition warrant executed three years ago by Scotland Yard on April 18, 2017. The High Court verdict in April upheld the 2018 ruling by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot at the end of a year-long extradition trial in December 2018 that Vijay Mallya had a "case to answer" in the Indian courts.

The Indian government has been seeking the extradition of the wanted fugitive. The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, June 11 informed that India has asked the United Kingdom not to consider any request for asylum by fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya as there appeared to be no ground for his persecution in the country. The UK government indicated that Mallya is unlikely to be extradited to India anytime soon, saying there is a "legal issue that needed to be resolved" before his extradition can be arranged.

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