In the latest twist of Vijay Mallya’s extradition odyssey, the Bombay High Court rebuffed his excuses for not returning from the UK, mandating a government affidavit in reply. Tuesday’s hearing before Chief Justice Chandrashankar and Justice Gautam Ankhad centered on petitions impugning Mallya’s FEO proclamation.
Mallya’s advocate, Amit Desai, conceded no fixed return timeline, attributing it to English court injunctions amid extradition trials. Citing SC judgments on proxy hearings, Desai urged leniency. The bench, however, probed the absence of appeals against those blocks, interpreting it as deliberate foot-dragging.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta received orders to address Mallya’s affidavit pointedly. The court insisted on sworn documentation of all hearing statements to anchor future arguments and enable Centre’s stance.
Three weeks were allotted post-criticism of the stagnant 2019 petitions, with March 11 as the reprise date. Mallya’s saga, rooted in Kingfisher’s 2012 bankruptcy and Rs 9,000+ crore defaults, exemplifies economic flight risks that prompted India’s FEO regime.
With assets seized worldwide and extradition nearing potential fruition after years of UK tussles, the High Court’s intervention underscores zero tolerance for dilatory pleas. It positions the case for substantive advancement, possibly syncing with international enforcement gears to reclaim public monies.