The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Thursday declared former liquor baron Vijay Mallya a “proclaimed offender” after he did not appear before it in connection with a case of violating the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, despite summons, ANI reported.
The Enforcement Directorate had approached the court. On November 8, the court had asked Mallya to appear before it by December 18.
The Enforcement Directorate had earlier issued summons to the businessman in connection with an alleged payment of $200,000 (approximately Rs 1.3 crore) to a British firm for displaying the Kingfisher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998. It had claimed that the money was allegedly paid without prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India, in violation of FERA norms.
In April 2017, a Delhi court had issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against the former liquor baron in the case. An open-ended non-bailable warrant does not carry a time limit for execution, unlike the ordinary non-bailable warrant.
Mallya is wanted in India for a number of cases, including for defaulting on loans worth Rs 9,000 crores from 17 banks. He has been in the United Kingdom since March 2016, and had earlier said he would not return to the country.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs had submitted an extradition request to UK on February 9 after Mallya made his self-imposed exile clear. The request was made on the basis of an extradition treaty signed between the countries in 1992.
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