Vijay Mallya's second resignation letter has been accepted by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien announced on Wednesday in the Upper House. This comes a day after Mallya's resignation had been rejected by Ansari on procedural grounds, and the Rajya Sabha's Ethics Committee had also recommended his expulsion from the house with immediate effect. According to earlier reports, the former liquor baron was informed that according to Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be "voluntary and genuine".
The 60-year-old businessman had sent a scanned copy of his resignation letter to Ansari expressing his desire to resign from his post in the upper house stating that he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in mud", referring to the loan default cases against him.
Mallya was a member of the House since 2010, and has been in the United Kingdom since March 2. The embattled businessman left the country soon after stepping down as the head of United Spirits, and owes 17 banks in India around Rs 9,000 crore. There are two non-bailable warrants out for his arrest.
On April 29, Mallya said he was in "forced exile" and has no plans of returning to India. This came after he refused three summons by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering investigation. The ED alleged he diverted part of his Rs 900-crore loan from IDBI bank to buy property overseas. His passport was revoked by the External Affairs Ministry on April 24.
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