SC to Centre: Contempt Proceedings against Mallya cannot proceed until he his produced before the Court

July 14,2017:

Mallya has failed to make personal appearance before the Supreme Court despite being directed to do so.

On Friday, Supreme Court considered Centre's submission that the proceedings to extradite the embattled businessman Vijay Mallya are going on in London and said Contempt case against him would move further only when he is produced before it.Apex Court Bench comprising of Justice AK Goel and Justice UU Lalit took note of fresh status report, referred by the Attorney General KK Venugopal that efforts to bring Mallya back were on.

Apex Court, which was to pronounce quantum of sentence today against Mallya, who has already been convicted for its contempt, said that the proceedings can't move further unless Businessman is produced before it.

Supreme Court had on May 9,2017 held that Mallya, who is presently in the United Kingdom, guilty of contempt on a plea by Consortium of lender banks, led by State Bank of India, for his failure to furnish the details of all his Indian as well as the offshore assets.

Supreme Court had directed Mallya to appear before it today to argue on Quantum of Punishment.

Offence of Contempt of Court entails a maximum imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of upto Rs 2,000 or both.

India had recently asked Britain to ensure that early extradition of Mallya, who is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The apex court's order had come on a plea by the consortium of banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had said that Mallya had allegedly transferred $40 million received from the British firm Diageo to his children in the "flagrant violation" of the various judicial orders.