AAI asks court to declare Mallya proclaimed offender
NEWDELHI: The Airports Authority of India has asked Mumbai High Court to declare Uk-based businessman Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender in the matter of two bounced cheques for Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.
“Airports Authority of India has sought issuing of proclamation..against accused UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya from a Mumbai court in connection with two cases of cheque bouncing under section 138 NI Act, filed by Airport Authority of India in the Court of 63rd MM, Andheri Court, Mumbai for over ₹100 crore,” AAI’S lawyer Neeraj Aarora said in a statement on Thursday.
Mallya‘s comments were awaited till the time of going to press.
Earlier, the court hearing the bounced cheques cases had directed Mallya to appear before it on July 16, 2016. The court then issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya. But the warrant was not executed because it was “received back unexecuted as the accused is not residing at the address mentioned in the warrant and (he) was further reported to have fled to United Kingdom”, AAI said.
Mallya was arrested and released earlier this month in London for the second time by the British police in a case of alleged money laundering brought by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Mallya flew out of India in March 2016, six days before a group of creditor-banks led by the State Bank of India moved the Supreme Court to restrain him from leaving India. They also sought an arrest warrant against Mallya and a security deposit to ensure his presence at debt recovery tribunal proceedings in Bengaluru.
Mallya launched Kingfisher Airlines in 2005. By 2012, Kingfisher was in deep trouble, despite a sweetheart debt restructuring deal by banks. By late 2012, KFA was grounded.