Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Friday suffered a major blow when his diplomatic passport was suspended by the government which has threatened to revoke it.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating money laundering charges against Mallya, on Friday moved a special PMLA court in Mumbai seeking a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with a Rs. 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case.
Mallya, who had refused to appear before the ED on three occasions when summoned between March 10 and April 2, had left India on March 2, the day the consortium of thirteen banks that had lent him money had closed in on him by moving the Debt Recovery Tribunal. The consortium also refused Mallya’s offer of paying an initial installment of Rs. 4,000 crore and settling the rest of the amount later.
On April 9, the business tycoon had informed the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case that he will not be able to depose personally as scheduled citing the ongoing legal proceedings going in the Supreme Court over settlement of loans.
The agency had issued fresh summons in the first week of April to Mallya asking him to appear on April 9 after he sought two extensions from the earlier dates of March 18 and April 2 citing official reasons.
Mallya was first summoned by the agency to “appear in person” at its office in Mumbai on March 18 but he required more time citing his prior engagements, following which the agency asked him to depose on April 2.