SBI tags Mallya as 'wilful defaulter'

After a protracted legal battle, the country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has declared beleagured industrialist Vijay Mallya a ‘wilful defaulter’ for defaults on nearly Rs 7,000 crore loans to the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines (KFA).

“SBI has declared Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines and its holding company, United Breweries Holdings, as wilful defaulters,” sources said.

After the Bombay High Court allowed Mallya to be represented by his legal counsels in August this year, SBI moved the Supreme Court challenging the HC order, saying that the latter violated the RBI rules on grievance redressal committee that allow only the borrower to present his case in person.

However, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court verdict and asked SBI to consider this only as “a one-off instance” and allow Mallya’s lawyers to represent him at the grievance reddressal committee meeting which was held recently. However, the lawyers could not satisfactorily present a case of genuine distress of Mallya and his companies in not paying the money they owe to the bankers. Following this, SBI declared them as wilful defaulters. However, Mallya can still challenge the label in the apex court through review petitions, according to experts.

Meanwhile, following the development, the 17 lenders to the airline have said they will e-auction its assets, in their latest bid to part recover their dues of around Rs 7,000 crore and accrued interest on the principal, that not been serviced since January 2013.