Mallya arrested in London on Indian Govt.'s extradition request

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's arrest in London on Tuesday was pursuant to the extradition request made by the Government of India based on money laundering charges against him, according to sources.

Mallya has been produced in Westminster Magistrates' Court for bail proceedings.

The Indian Government had made an extradition request in February to Britain to send back the businessman to face trial and since then the Indian Government officials have been pursuing the case of his extradition. The issue was raised on several occasions with the UK Government authorities in London.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal ministry for Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) in Criminal Matters, had conveyed that the India-U.K. MLAT in criminal matters does not cover the subject to bring back persons under investigation.

However, the CBI had submitted extradition request in respect of Mallya regarding the case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for his extradition from the U.K.

The extradition request was sent to the U.K. for their consideration under bilateral extradition treaty.

The UK Police had earlier arrested the liquor baron on April 18, 2017 on separate charges of fraud but he was released on the bail.

Mallaya, who has been staying in the UK for over a year now, is accused of defaulting on loans worth Rs. 9,000 crore to a clutch of public sector banks in India.

In a June 2017 hearing at the London court, in a major setback to India, the court had expressed that New Delhi had not provided evidence to Mallya yet.

Mallaya is among 53 persons, who are facing prosecution complaints from the Directorate of Enforcement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and they are absconding, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in July.