Centre seeks SC order against Mallya

Bank accuses him of tranferring cash to kids

The Centre on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to pass an order in contempt plea against beleaguered industrialist Vijay Mallya to enable it in pursuing his deportation from the United Kingdom.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit, a Note Verbale has been sent to the UK’s High Commission on February 8 after the British government responded on February 5 to its request for deportation of Mallya made on April 28, 2016.

He said an adverse order for violating the SC’s order for full disclosure of assets held by Mallya and his family members would help the country in getting him deported. “I will show the court’s order to the UK authorities,” Rohatgi said, adding the businessman had cared two hoots for the apex court’s order and taken it for a ride.
His response came as the bench asked Rohatgi as how far the apex court’s order would be effective. “We are considering your plea. Suppose, we pass some order today, how will you execute it? We don’t want to pass any piece meal order,” the bench asked.

The bench, after hearing for hours the counsel from Mallya and SBI-led banks consortium, which sought repayment of Rs 9,400 crore loan, reserved the order on applications made for contempt action against the industrialist as well as one filed by Mallya for recall of the contempt notice.

During the hearing, the bench posed tough questions to Mallya’s counsel. “Was there truthful disclosure by you of your assets? How could you transfer 40 million USD to your children’s accounts. Once, you were put to notice on contempt, what you did in response?”

The bench also asked him, “Are you showing your bona fide, are you disputing liabilities?”

Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, representing Mallya, conceded some money was due on him. “Today, these banks had Rs 7 lakh crore of non-performing assets, but why I have been made as poster-boy of all loan defaulters,” he asked.

Mallya’s counsel pointed out his assets worth Rs 8,000 crore remained attached and Rs 2,000 crore were due to the Income Tax department.

He, however, submitted that there has been no violation of the apex court’s order of April 26, 2016, for disclosure of assets. He contested a plea made by banks’ counsel senior advocate Shyam Divan for a direction to forthwith deposit of 40 million USD received by Mallya from Diageo, the British liquor major. The banks accused him of transferring the money to accounts of his three children, all US citizens.