UK court dismisses Vijay Mallya’s appeal against 2018 extradition order

A UK court on April 20 dismissed fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s extradition plea.

Mallya had appealed against a 2018 decision that allowed his extradition to India. He is wanted in India under charges of financial fraud worth around Rs 9,000 crore in borrowings by his Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) from several Indian banks. The case followed the collapse of his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The Indian government wants to bring back the 64-year-old embattled businessman, who has denied wrongdoing in recent months and has said that he intends to repay those loans.

Mallya had tweeted on March 31, saying, "I have made repeated offers to pay 100 percent of the amount borrowed by KFA to the Banks. Neither are Banks willing to take money and neither is the ED willing to release their attachments which they did at the behest of the Banks. I wish the FM would listen in this time of crisis."

In April 2017, Mallya was arrested in London on India's request for extradition and was granted bail shortly after. He was again arrested in London in October that same year, following an Enforcement Directorate (ED) affidavit.

It was in December 2018 that a UK court ordered the extradition of Vijay Mallya. This was followed by a special PMLA court in India declaring Vijay Mallya a fugitive economic offender.