DRT bars Mallya from withdrawing $75-million payout from Diageo

The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) on Monday barred liquor baron Vijay Mallya from withdrawing 75 million US Dollar (over 500 crore rupees) exit payment from British liquor giant Diageo till the disposal of Kingfisher Airlines' loan default case filed by the State Bank of India (SBI).

Allowing the SBI plea, DRT judge Benakanahalli also restrained Diageo from disbursing the amount to Mallya, who worked out the deal under a severance package.

As per reports, the tribunal ordered that the amount be attached till the disposal of the original application filed by the SBI in 2013.

In his order on the plea seeking the lenders' first right on the deal, the judge also directed disclosure of details of the agreement which they have arrived at.

Three other applications filed by SBI before the tribunal will come up for hearing on March 28.

SBI, which leads the consortium of 17 banks that lent money to the grounded Kingfisher Airlines, had moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal against the airline's chairman Mallya in its bid to recover over Rs 7,000 crore of dues from him.

In further trouble for the United Breweries Group promoter, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier today had registered a money laundering case against him based on a CBI complaint.