Fiction of his imagination: PMLA court rejects Vijay Mallya’s ‘political vendetta’ claims

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in its order made available on Saturday rejected fugitive business tycoon Vijay Mallya’s claim that the government’s efforts to extradite him were part of a ‘political vendetta’ and termed them “mere fiction of his imagination”.

In its judgment, the court said, “Mere statement that the government of India had pursued a political vendetta against him and initiated criminal investigations and proceeding against him cannot be ground for his stay in the UK. Hence, the arguments in these regards are mere fiction of his imagination to pose himself as law-abiding citizen.”

Mallya had fled the country on March 2, 2016 the day when a consortium of banks filed a case against him before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He, however, claimed that he didn’t flee but went to attend a motorsports council meeting in Geneva on March 4, 2016.

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“Had it been the case that he went to attend a pre-scheduled meeting and is a law-abiding citizen, he would have immediately informed the authorities about his schedule to return to India after attending his meeting and commitment,” the special PMLA court observed.

The court said that it would not be safe to accept his argument that he left the country only to attend a pre-planned meeting as he didn’t give any fix date of return despite repeated summons and issuance of the warrant of arrest.

On January 5, the embattled billionaire, accused of defaulting over Rs 9,000 crore of bank loans, was declared a fugitive economic offender (FEO) by a special Mumbai court.  However, declaring him a fugitive offender didn’t serve the desired purpose. 

Recently, he had lost an extradition case filed by India. On December 11, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London had pronounced its verdict in the case and ordered authorities to extradite Vijay Mallya to India to face the trail.

The liquor tycoon has long been pleading before the Indian authorities to accept his payback offer. Days before the extradition case verdict, Mallya had requested banks to accept his offer, saying that he contributed thousands of crores to the State exchequers through his alcoholic beverage group and now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

“For three decades running India’s largest alcoholic beverage group, we contributed thousands of crores to the State exchequers. Kingfisher Airlines also contributed handsomely to the States. Sad loss of the finest Airline but still I offer to pay Banks so no loss. Please take it,” he had said.