Extradite Vijay Mallya to India, says UK court
LONDON: Upholding India’s evidence and charges of financial irregularities against businessman Vijay Mallya, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday cleared his extradition in a rare ruling against an Indian that marked what, the judge said, could be the “start of a long process”.
Mallya, wanted in India to face charges of alleged financial irregularities running into thousands of crores of rupees, is expected to appeal against the judgment within the stipulated 14 days. India welcomed the verdict with “deep satisfaction” and said that “justice has been delivered today”.
The 62-year-old businessman, who sat in court impassively, was told he will continue to remain on bail.
Delivering a summary of the 74-page judgment, chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot highlighted the failings of Indian banks while lending to Mallya and his companies, and said the four grounds on which he had opposed the extradition had failed.
The four grounds were lack of a prima facie case, risk to human rights in Indian jails, abuse of process, and extraneous considerations. The detailed judgment described by Arbuthnot as a “a jigsaw puzzle” contained 471 paragraphs.
Mark Summers, the lawyer representing India, accused Mallya of “three chapters of dishonesty” in previous hearings: misrepresentations made to banks to secure loans, what was done with the loans, and what he and his companies did when banks recalled the loans.