A team of officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate are in London to expedite the extradition process of former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, PTI reported on Tuesday. A four-member team led by CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana will share information about the loan default cases against Mallya with British authorities, officials told the news agency.

A British court will hear the 61-year-old’s extradition case, in which neither of the Indian agencies are direct participants.

Advertisement

Mallya was granted bail by a Westminster magistrates’ court in London on April 18, only hours after he was arrested by the Scotland Yard in London. He was released on a conditional deposit of £6.5 lakh (around Rs 5.34 crores) and the case for his extradition will be heard on May 17, reported NDTV. The businessman was arrested on behalf of Indian authorities for his alleged involvement in fraud, a statement issued by the Scotland Yard said.

After securing bail, Mallya took to Twitter and wrote, “Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected.”

Mallya, who owes 17 banks in India more than Rs 9,000 crore, has been in the United Kingdom since March 2016 and had earlier said he will not return to the country. He has been embroiled in a number of cases in India.

Advertisement

The Ministry of External Affairs had submitted an extradition request for Mallya on February 9 this year. Later that month, Indian and UK officials met for two days to discuss deportation cases and pending requests to extradite people from the two countries.

In November 2016, he was declared an absconder by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court. The same month, India had asked the UK to extradite the industrialist under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty for the loans he owes. On January 31, a special CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him.