Special Court orders Mallya's arrest in Rs 60 bn money-laundering case

Special Judge M S Azmi of anti-money laundering court issued a non-bailable warrant for Mallya's arrest, taking cognisance of a fresh chargesheet filed against him and others by the ED

A special court here on Wednesday ordered the arrest of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya for his alleged involvement in a case of money laundering and cheating a consortium of banks of over Rs 60 billion.

Special Judge M S Azmi of anti-money laundering court issued a non-bailable warrant for Mallya's arrest, taking cognisance of a fresh chargesheet filed against him and others by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The court also issued summons to Mallya's firms, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) and United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL), before adjourning the hearing in the case to July 30.

The agency has filed the chargesheet, also known as prosecution complaint, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, naming Mallya, his firms KFA and UBHL besides others.

The ED had last year filed its first charge sheet against Mallya, now in London, in the alleged Rs 9 billion IDBI Bank-Kingfisher Airlines loan fraud case.

The fresh chargesheet revolves around the complaint received from State Bank of India (SBI) on behalf of the consortium of banks for causing loss of Rs 60.27 billion to them by not keeping repayment commitments of the loans taken during 2005-10.