UK judge to India: Submit video of jail cell to house Mallya
LONDON: The Indian government on Tuesday promised to deliver a video showing facilities and other details of Barrack number 12 of Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai by September 12, the next date of hearing in controversial businessman Vijay Mallya’s extradition case.
Monday’s session was due to hear concluding statements in the case that has seen several hearings since Mallya’s arrest in April 2017, but it was delayed and ended after brief proceedings due to the indisposition of the chief magistrate of Westminster Magistrates Court, Emma Arbuthnot. Mallya’s bail was extended until September 12, when the video of the prison will be shown in court to buttress the Indian government’s argument that the jail has adequate facilities to hold Mallya without the violation of his human rights.
Outside the court, Mallya reiterated that he has been offering to settle his loans with Indian banks since 2015, and also mentioned his recent offer made in the Karnataka high court to settle them against his assets detailed in court papers.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which is representing India, submitted to the court the May 8 judgement of the commercial bench of the high court, upholding a worldwide freeze on Mallya’s assets and the registering of a ruling of India’s Debt Recovery Tribunal in a case brought by 13 Indian banks.
Mark Summers, representing India, informed the court that Mallya’s application for permission to appeal against the May 8 ruling was also recently dismissed by the HC. The focus of Tuesday’s hearing was limited to prison conditions, which is the main reason for most of India’s extradition requests failing in British courts since the bilateral extradition treaty was signed in 1993.
Seeking to allay concerns previously raised by Arbuthnot regarding the facilities that will be available to Mallya in jail, if he is extradited, Summers said a further “sovereign assurance” had been submitted on behalf of the Indian state.