Beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya on April 20 lost his appeal in a UK high court.
This development is a shot in the arm for the government, which has been trying to bring him back to the country to face charges in an Indian court.
The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines owner is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.
Mallya had left India on March 2016 and has been living in England on bail since his arrest on extradition warrant in April last year.
From hereon, Mallya has two choices – first, to appeal in the UK Supreme Court within the next 14 days, in which case the UK Home Office will have to wait for the outcome of that appeal to extradite Mallya.
The second way forward is that Mallya abides by this order, in which case, he will be formally extradited to India within 28 days as per the UK-India Extradition Treaty, and faces charges in Indian courts.
If and when Mallya is back, he will be placed in Mumbai's Arthur Road prison, as was announced when the Westminster Magistrate Court had found him guilty.
The prison authorities informed that he will be lodged at barrack 12 of the prison. This high-security barrack is located in a two-storey building inside the prison complex, which also housed 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Kasab.
Each cell in Barrack 12 has an attached toilet, a washing area and a courtyard. Usually, prison barracks have Indian-style toilets, but some cells in Barrack 12 have western commodes. Each inmate is given a mattress with a pillow and a bedsheet; a melamine tumbler, plate and two bowls to have water and meals.
The inmates are provided melamine dishes so that they can’t use them to injure themselves or others. The ceiling fan is placed extremely high so it cannot be reached by a prisoner.
The cell is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance and guards are posted inside as well as outside to watch over inmates round the clock.
Barrack 12 houses high-profile prisoners who could either pose a threat to others or are perceived to face threats themselves.
Other VIPs who have been lodged in the same cell:
Former television executive Peter Mukerjea was lodged in Barrack 12 of Arthur Road Prison. He is being tried for the murder of his step-daughter Sheena Bora.
President (finance) of Nirav Modi’s Firestar International, who is in judicial custody for the alleged Rs 13,500 crore PNB scam, has been lodged here.
NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew Samir Bhujbal are among high profile inmates of Barrack 12.
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was housed here when he underwent his sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Bombay bomb blast case.
Terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who participated in the 26/11 attacks, was also lodged in Barrack 12 briefly, before he was moved to the infamous Anda Cell. Kasab’s cell is now occupied by Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jindal, one of the alleged handlers of the 26/11 terrorists.
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