The Supreme Court Monday asked the central government to file a status report in the case pertaining to the extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.
The direction comes almost a month after the centre told the apex court that ‘secret’ proceedings were going on in the UK courts in an effort to extradite Mallya.
In the last status report filed before the court, the Ministry of Home Affairs had said that the extradition request for Mallya was forwarded to the UK on February 9, 2017. In December 2018, Senior District Judge, Westminster Magistrate’s Court, London recommended his extradition to India. Mallya challenged this before the London High Court, which dismissed it on April 20, 2020. He then moved the HC seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the high court rejected the request on May 14, 2020.
A UK High Court in April, had dismissed fugitive liquor baron’s appeal against extradition to India. In the order against the Mallya, the judges said, “We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the SDJ [Senior District Judge] is in some respects wider than that alleged by the Respondent in India [Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED)], there is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India”.
