Mallya not to be extradited until 'legal issues' in UK are resolved

Mallya had lost his appeal against extradition last month

Mallya is a fugitive economic offender owing a consortium of Indian banks around Rs 9,961 crore | Reuters Mallya is a fugitive economic offender owing a consortium of Indian banks around Rs 9,961 crore | Reuters

On May 14, fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya lost his appeal against extradition in the UK court and according to the UK Extradition Act, Mallya has to be extradited within 28 days or he can appeal to the court to discharge him. This development has set off speculation that he is going to be extradited to India anytime soon.

However, according to sources, the British home department has conveyed to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that Mallya will not be extradited till certain technical issues are resolved. 

The technical issues, according to sources, include a pending asylum plea filed by Mallya with the British Home Office. Secondly, Mallya has loans to repay in that jurisdiction, too, so the UK authorities would like to settle that issue with him first.

Under the UK law, the extradition cannot take place until these legal issues are resolved. Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said they are trying to resolve the pending matters to set in motion his extradition. 

The British High Commission in India in a statement issued on Thursday said that even though Vijay Mallya last month lost his appeal against extradition and refused to appeal further to the UK Supreme Court, his extradition cannot be arranged due to certain legal issues.

“There is a further legal issue that needs resolving before his extradition can be arranged,” said a High Commission spokesperson. 

The spokesperson, however, said that since the issue is confidential, they cannot share further details but reiterated that under the  UK law, extradition can't take place until these legal issues get resolved.

The High Commission also said that they “cannot estimate how long the issue will take to resolve”. 

“We are seeking to deal with this as quickly as possible,” it said.

Mallya is a fugitive economic offender owing a consortium of Indian banks around Rs 9,961 crore. A team of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have been facing a legal battle in the UK court since Mallya fled to London and took shelter there, prompting the Indian government to launch extradition proceedings against the liquor baron. 

Mallya, however, has denied the charges against him and is currently on bail. He has issued statements saying the Indian banks can take back 100 per cent on the principal amount owed to them.