UK High Court begins hearing on Vijay Mallya's appeal against extradition to India

The UK High Court on Tuesday began hearing on an appeal by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya against Westminster Magistrates' Court order extraditing him to India to face alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crore.

In July, last year, The Royal Court of Justice had granted Mallya permission to appeal against the magistrates' court's extradition order, which was signed off later by former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

During July's hearing, Mallya's counsel Clare Montgomery had told the two-judge bench of the Royal Court of Justice that her client would not receive a fair trial in India, be subjected to a "trial by media, and the judicial process would be coloured by political bias; (and that) the prison conditions in India would breach his basic human rights."

Mallya had later told reporters after being granted the permission to appeal that he was "glad" at the ruling and reiterated his offer to the consortium of Indian banks to return their money. "I still want the banks to take all the money. All they have to do is to leave me in peace," he said.

63-year-old Mallya flew out from India in March 2016, and has been living in the United Kingdom since then.