The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Vijay Mallya asking him to be present on April 9. The summons are the third ones issued after Mallya failed to stick by the earlier ones.
The ED, which is investigating Mallya’s role in a money laundering case, had previously asked him to be present on March 18 in person at its Ballard Pier office. In response to this, Mallya had voiced his inability to come to India due to prior engagements. Following this, the ED asked him to be present on April 2.
On March 30, Mallya submitted to the Supreme Court a proposal to pay Rs 4,000 crore, citing the same as partial settlement for loan repayment. Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines owe over Rs 6,000 crores to a group of banks led by the State Bank of India. While his legal counsel submitted the proposal, they deflected the Court’s questions regarding his absence. They replied that he was out of he country and did not want to return due to the “current situations” against him.
Mallya, who is currently said to be in London, was asked by the ED to submit his passport under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was also asked to furnish documents pertaining to his finances including personal finances and the income tax returns spanning the past five years.
Top officials in the ED revealed that Mallya’s pleas to provide him time till May was rejected. “The fresh summons ask him to be present on April 9. We have given him a week’s time,” said an officer.
