The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will proceed with the sentencing of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya in a contempt case even if he is not extradited to India, Live Law reported.
A bench of Justices UU Lalit, Ravindra Bhat and Bela Trivedi were hearing a contempt case filed against Mallya in 2017. The businessman had disobeyed the court’s order by not revealing full details of his assets in relation to an earlier case pertaining to the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
Mallya, who is currently on bail in the United Kingdom, owes Rs 9,000 crore in debts of Kingfisher Airlines, to a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said that it intends to go ahead with sentencing in the contempt case at the next hearing on January 18, 2022, Live Law reported.
“What we wish to do is, we will list this matter for disposal in January,” the court said. “We have waited sufficiently long enough and we cannot wait longer now. At that juncture if this person [Mallya] wants to take part personally he will be here through extradition proceedings. If he isn’t present, his lawyer will be here.”
In 2017, after the fugitive businessman made it clear that he would not return to India, the government had submitted an extradition request. The United Kingdom had denied the request saying it cannot be extradited until the “confidential legal issue” related to Mallya is resolved.
At multiple hearings of the contempt case since then, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that the extradition had been delayed due to “secret proceedings” in the United Kingdom.
On Tuesday, the Centre reiterated this and said Mallya’s extradition had “attained finality” as the fugitive businessman had exhausted all avenues of appeal in the United Kingdom, The Hindu reported.
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