Court tells ED to execute warrant against Mallya

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday directed the Enforcement Directorate to execute a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against businessman Vijay Mallya in a case of laundering worth Rs900 crore.

The warrant issued by the court reads, ''Vijay Vithal Mallya who is presently residing in United Kingdom c/o M/s Kingfisher Airlines Limited and stands charged with the offence punishable under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has failed to appear before the investigating officer in spite of issuing necessary orders.

''The court has good and sufficient reasons to believe that the said accused [Vijay Mallya] will not appear before this court unless compelled to do so.''

The special PMLA court judge P R Bhavake directed the Enforcement Directorate to arrest him and produce him before the court.

The court also said the warrant would remain in force until it was cancelled by the court that issued it or until it was executed.

''The warrant will go to Interpol and then the red corner notice will be issued against Mr. Mallya,'' the agency's advocate Hiten Venegavkar told The Hindu.

The minister of foreign affairs will then send this warrant and related documents to the UK home ministry which will then start the extradition proceedings.''

''With this two things will happen. As his passport is suspended he will be directly deported or he will be produced before the magistrate in London and then extradited to India,'' Venegavkar said.

The court had issued the NBW on 18 April after Venegavkar informed the court that three summonses were sent to Mallya to be present before the agency but he had repeatedly failed to do so.

The ED's case is based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Mallya and other unknown officials of the Mumbai-based IDBI Bank for causing a loss of Rs900 crore to the public sector bank.

Mallya was on Wednesday convicted by a local court in Hyderabad in a cheque-bouncing case against his grounded Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. A fresh non-bailable warrant has been issued against the former liquor baron (See: Court convicts Vijay Mallya of cheque fraud)