Mallya will appeal UK court’s extradition order
UK judge Emma Arbuthnot said there was a prima facie case against Mr Mallya & his human rights would not be infringed if he were extradited to India.
New Delhi: Calling the Westminster Magistrates’ Court (London) order extraditing him back to India as “unfortunate”, former liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday said that “he will take the next step after reviewing the order, and analysing all the legal options”.
The Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered Mr Mallya’s extradition to India. Mr Mallya is wanted in India for defaulting on Rs 9,000 crore in loans to Kingfisher Airlines.
Immediately after the verdict, Mr Mallya told media persons outside the court in London, “It is unfortunate that the judge has found a prima facie case, that I made misrepresentation to the IDBI bank and swayed them to loan money. The verdict is unfortunate”. Mr Mallya, who has repeatedly offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount, has time to appeal the decision in the UK high court. “I have placed my assets on the table and asked the court to decide on the settlement”, Mr Mallya said after the verdict.
UK judge Emma Arbuthnot said there was a prima facie case against Mr Mallya and his human rights would not be infringed if he were extradited to India. She referred the extradition case to home secretary of state Sajid Javid, who must also approve it. “I am sending Mallya’s case to the Home Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order his extradition,” she said, referring to the Pakistani-origin top British official.
There was no sign of a false case being mounted against him, the judge said while delivering the verdict.
Mr Mallya has time to appeal the decision in the UK high court. In case Mallya’s team does not file an appeal, and secretary of state agrees with the magistrate’s decision, then he will extradited from the UK within 28 days of the UK’s home secretary’s extradition order.
Earlier, Mr Mallya had contested his extradition on the grounds that the loans he has been accused of defaulting on were sought to keep his airline afloat.
“I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it,” he had tweeted last week.