The Supreme Court on Thursday gave fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya two weeks to physically or via counsel state his argument in the contempt case against him. If he fails, the court will carry the issue to a logical conclusion.
The hearing was adjourned till February 24 by a bench led by Justice UU Lalit, who also deferred the contempt case.
The Supreme Court agreed with amicus curiae and senior attorney Jaideep Gupta, who was helping the court in the matter. On sentencing, Mr Mallya should be allowed one final chance to present his case.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained that it is not the Government of India’s position that anything confidential is happening in the case in the United Kingdom, but that the UK has notified the Centre that something is going on cannot be discussed.
Last year, the Supreme Court decided to proceed with the hearing on the degree of punishment in the contempt case against Mr Mallya. However, it had waited “long enough” and could not “wait any longer any more” for him to be extradited from the United Kingdom to India.
The Supreme Court had found Mr Mallya in contempt of court for transferring USD 40 million to his children in violation of the court’s order and summoned him several times.
After reviewing a document from the Ministry of External Affairs’ Deputy Secretary (Extradition), the bench concluded that the proceedings for Mr Mallya’s extradition to India from the United Kingdom had reached a conclusion, but that particular “confidential proceedings” were still pending in the UK, the details of which were unknown.
The Centre further stated that Mr Mallya had exhausted all of his legal options in the United Kingdom.
Previously, the court denied a motion by attorney EC Agarwala to be discharged as Mr Mallya’s counsel in the case.