Mallya's FERA case: Delhi Court defers matter to Dec 22

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) on Monday informed a Delhi court that it has taken all the appropriate efforts to bring back liquor baron Vijay Mallya in Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) violation case, but the latter is unavailable.

After ED's statement, the court has deferred the matter to December 22.

Earlier, the court had asked Mallya to appear on December 18.

The ED had also urged the court to initiate the proceedings against Vijay Mallya to declare as proclaimed offender in connection with alleged payment of USD 200,000 to a British firm for displaying Kingfisher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

In April,a Delhi court had issued an open ended (no time limit) non-bailable warrant against Mallya.This was the sixth non-bailable arrest warrant issued against the liqour baron.

The extradition trial of Mallya, who is wanted in India for financial irregularities involving a total amount of Rs 9,000 crore as well as money laundering, began at the London's Westminster court on December 4, wherein Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) outlined the Indian government's case against him.

The Indian government through CPS has been contending in the court that liquor baron had misled banks back home with regard to his company's net worth while seeking loan totalling around Rs 2,000 crore.

A four-member CBI and Enforcement Directorate team from India also attended the court proceedings.

Mallya, who has been out on bail since Scotland Yard executed an extradition warrant in April this year, will be in the dock for the duration of the trial scheduled to end on December 14.