Want to come to India but passport suspended: Mallya to Court

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Liquor baron Vijay Mallya todayinformed a Delhi court that he wants to come to India but isunable to travel back as his passport has been suspended byIndian authorities. Mallya made the submission through his counsel beforeChief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass in a case lodged forallegedly evading summons in connection with a FERA violationmatter. On July 9, the court had cancelled the exemption frompersonal appearance granted to him and had directed him toappear before it. In his application moved through senior advocate RameshGupta, Mallya requested the court that some time be given sothat his appearance can be secured. The counsel submitted the copy of an email sent byMallya, stating that his passport was suspended on April 23,2016 without giving him any opportunity of being heard. Enforcement Directorate (ED), however, told the courtthat Mallya is already evading proceedings in several othercases and sought time to reply to the plea moved by him today. The court has now put up the matter for further hearingon October 4. The exemption from personal appearance to Mallya wasgranted in December 2000 on ED’s complaint for evading summonsissued to him by it. The agency had issued summons to the businessman inconnection with alleged payment of 200,000 dollars to aBritish firm for displaying Kingfisher logo in Formula OneWorld Championships in London and some European countries in1996, 1997 and 1998. It had claimed that the money was allegedly paid withoutprior approval from RBI in violation of FERA norms. In its plea against Mallya filed through prosecutor N KMatta, ED had also sought issuance of non-bailable warrantagainst the Chairman of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines tosecure his presence in the ongoing trial of the case, which isat its final stage. The agency’s plea had said Mallya was reported to be inthe United Kingdom and his presence in the trial was essentialand had sought court’s direction to him to remain personallypresent in every hearing. Matta had argued that the court should recall itsDecember 2000 exemption order as a PMLA court in Mumbai hasrecently issued an open-ended warrant against him inconnection with a money laundering case. According to ED, Mallya was summoned on four occasionsfor questioning in connection with a contract signed inDecember 1995 with London-based firm Benetton Formula Ltd forpromotion of the Kingfisher brand abroad. When Mallya failed to appear before ED in response tothe summons, a complaint was filed on March 8, 2000 before acourt here and later on charges were framed against him underFERA.PTI UK AGDV