Vijay Mallya asked to appear Before PMLA court on July 29

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been asked to appear before a PMLA court here on July 29 in connection with its money laundering probe against him in an alleged bank loan fraud case with the special judge saying he has “absconded” and was “concealing” himself to avoid arrest. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday published a court-issued a proclamation against Mallya.

“Whereas a complaint has been made before me that above named accused Vijay Vithal Mallya residing at address: c/o- Ms Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, Mumbai 400018, has committed the offence of punishable under Section 4 of PMLA, 2002 and it has been returned to a warrant of arrest thereupon issued that the said Vijay Vithal Mallya cannot be found and whereas it has been shown to my satisfaction that the said Vijay Vithal Mallya has absconded and is concealing himself to avoid the service of the said warrant. Proclamation is hereby made that the above named accused in the above case required to appear in the Special Court under PMLA, Greater Bombay in court Room No 16 to answer the said complaint on July 29, 2016 at 11:00 am,” the order issued under the signature of Spl Judge P.R. Bhavake read.

The proclamation has been published in some prominent national dailies here and in Bangalore. It was issued by a special anti-money laundering court here on June 14 under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code at the request of ED which is probing his role in the Rs 900-crore IDBI-Kingfisher Airlines loan case. The agency, they said, has served the order on Mallya through official channels. The ED had sought the proclamation notice to be issued against Mallya as it said he had “multiple” arrest warrants pending against him, including a non-bailable warrant under the PMLA, and the agency wants him to join the probe “in person”.