On Vijay Mallya Sentencing, Supreme Court Won't Wait For Extradition

 The court said that even though Vijay Mallya is not present, hearing on quantum of sentence can take place as his lawyer has been appearing in court.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said it will hear arguments in sentencing in a contempt of court case against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya - India is trying to extradite him from the United Kingdom.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been asked to be present before the top court at 2 pm with written instructions from the Ministry Of External Affairs.

The court said that even though Vijay Mallya is not present, hearing on quantum of sentence can take place as his lawyer has been appearing in court.

Vijay Mallya, who is an accused in a bank loan default case of over ₹ 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, is presently in the United Kingdom.

The businessman was held guilty of contempt of court in 2017, for failing to disclose transfer of 40 million USD to his children's accounts and for ignoring summons to appear in court. The Supreme Court had in August last year dismissed his review petition in the case.

The top court's 2017 order had come on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had said that Vijay Mallya had allegedly transferred USD 40 million received from British firm Diageo, to his children in "flagrant violation" of various judicial orders.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in July this year said India has made its best case on Vijay Mallya and has the "best assurance" from the UK authorities of his extradition to face charges of fraud and money laundering related to unpaid loans to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.