India tells UK not to consider Vijay Mallya’s asylum request
Indian External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday informed that India has urged UK not to consider asylum request of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya who is currently on bail and expecting his extradition to India. India tells U.K that there is no ground for his persecution in the country.
Anurag Srivastava said in a weekly news briefing “After Vijay Mallya’s leave to appeal to the [UK] Supreme Court, that application was rejected, we have been in touch with the UK side for his early extradition.”
“And we have also requested the UK side not to consider his asylum, if requested by him, because there appear to be no ground for his persecution in India.”He added
Vijay Mallya who escaped to U.K after defaulting the repayment of Rs 9,000 crore bank loan, was expected his extradition to India from U.K last week after being lost his final appeal in the UK apex Court. However U.K had said that a “confidential” legal issue was delaying Mallya’s extradition even though they were trying to deal with the matter as early as possible. Britain’s stand raised speculation that the 64-year-old businessman, wanted in India to face charges of financial irregularities, could have applied for asylum in the UK.
Vijay Mallya was to be extradited to India for fraud and money laundering charges against him due to the collapse of his now defunct company Kingfisher Airlines.After his appeal against a Westminster Magistrates’ Court extradition order was rejected by the London High Court, he was given a 14 day period to approach the Supreme Court only if there is a substantial point of law to be resolved. On the further proceedings on the 4th of May, his application stands dismissed.
The London High Court had earlier found that Mallya had been accused of cheating Indian banks and then fleeing the country by defaulting the repayment of Rs 9,000 crore of bank loans taken by his the Kingfisher.company. He had been arrested on 20th April 2017 by UK authorities.
