ED moves Interpol for red corner notice against Vijay Mallya | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

ED moves Interpol for red corner notice against Vijay Mallya

Hindustan Times | ByAbhishek Sharan
May 12, 2016 08:21 PM IST

India’s move came a day after the government revealed that Britain has turned down a request to deport the former Rajya Sabha member who left the country in March owing more than Rs 9,000 crore in unpaid loans to several banks. However, Britain said it will consider a request for extradition.

India on Thursday asked global policing authority Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant against Vijay Mallya in an attempt to close all escape doors for the heavily indebted liquor baron once hailed as the ‘king of good times’.

UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya at an interview with the Financial Times in London.(File photo/ PTI)
UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya at an interview with the Financial Times in London.(File photo/ PTI)

India’s move came a day after the government revealed that Britain has turned down a request to deport the former Rajya Sabha member who left the country in March owing more than Rs 9,000 crore in unpaid loans to several banks. However, Britain said it will consider a request for extradition.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A CBI source said the agency has forwarded a request from the Enforcement Directorate seeking an Interpol ‘red corner notice’ (RCN), which is meant to “seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action”.

The ED, which probes financial crimes, wants to question Mallya, 60, in a money-laundering case related to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The agency says Mallya diverted nearly half of a Rs 950-crore bank loan to acquire properties abroad.

Money-laundering is a crime in both India and the UK.

A special court earlier issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Mallya, who ignored three ED summons to appear for questioning. The government also suspended the diplomatic passport of the flamboyant businessman, known for his flashy parties attended by fashion models and Bollywood celebrities.

The CBI, which is Interpol’s nodal agency in India, is also probing Mallya’s loan defaults since July last year and grilled him thrice before he left India.

Mallya said in a recent interview that he was in “forced exile” and called the charges against him “preposterous”.

The request for the RCN is among a set of measures the ED is set to take up to bring back Mallya. The agency is likely to make a fresh request to the external affairs ministry seeking his extradition and attachment of his property in India, said an ED source.

Read: How the Bankruptcy Bill will help tackle Mallya-like defaulters

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On