The beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya will not appear before Enforcement Directorate (ED) yet again as he sought another date in May-end to depose before the investigators. This is the third time he has expressed his inability to appear before ED and sought to postpone the date.
Mallya has sought time till May to depose before ED regarding a money laundering probe in the over Rs 900-crore IDBI Bank loan fraud case. Officials said that Mallya has informed the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case in Mumbai that he will be unable to depose personally, citing the ongoing legal proceedings going in the Supreme Court over the settlement of Kingfisher Airlines loans.
However, the liquor baron has reportedly suggested his legal team can help ED in taking the probe forward.
Watch: QSatire: Vijay Mallya’s Secretary Writes a (Love) Letter to Him
ED Will “Probably” Revoke Mallya’s Passport
Sources did not immediately comment on the next step the agency will take but said the next course of action will be “decided in due course.”
The agency had issued fresh summons last week to Mallya asking him to appear on 9 April after he sought two extensions from the earlier dates of 18 March and 2 April citing official reasons.
Officials had earlier said that the agency has by and large two options in case an accused skips appearance on summons thrice, the maximum time allowed under PMLA. The options include revoking his or her passport and/or getting issued a non-bailable warrant. ED officials had earlier hinted that the 9 April summon could possibly be the last to Mallya.
Mallya had informed the IO that cases related to bank loans were currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court and he was trying to settle these loans with the help of his legal and corporate team and, hence, would require some more time.
Earlier, Mallya, who is facing legal proceedings for alleged default of loans worth over Rs 9,000 crore from various banks, was also directed by the Supreme Court to disclose all assets owned by him and his family in India and abroad by 21 April. The Supreme Court also sought to know when he will appear before the apex court.
Mallya is reported to be in the UK after he left India on 2 March. The ED has registered a money laundering case against Mallya and others based on an FIR registered by the CBI in 2015.
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