The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) revoked Vijay Mallya’s passport on Sunday.
The ministry was previously examining the response provided by the liquor baron through his lawyer to the showcause notice, asking why his passport should not be impounded or revoked.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought the revocation of Vijay Mallya’s passport on grounds of non-cooperation with investigators probing a criminal case against him, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at its zonal office in Mumbai. The ED has written to the MEA to take action under the Passport Act, 1967.
Mallya had thrice failed to appear before the ED Investigating Officer (IO) in Mumbai n connection with the Rs 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case, which the central probe agency is investigating under PMLA.
Sources have already indicated that once the deportation proceedings are initiated, the government will seek the assistance of the United Kingdom to interdict Mallya and fly him back to India. They said:
Mallya had left India on 2 March.
(With inputs from PTI)
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