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Vijay Mallya. (Express Photo, File)
Hours after being arrested by the Scotland Yard on extradition warrant and securing bail, businessman and liquor baron Vijay Mallya was on Tuesday granted bail by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The 61-year-old embattled business tycoon wrote on Twitter, “Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected”.
Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected.
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) April 18, 2017
Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, was held for a brief period of time on India’s request for his extradition. He appeared before the Westminster’s Magistrates’ Court in London and was granted bail
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Reacting to the development, Union Minister Jitendra Singh described it as a big success of Indian government and the finance ministry. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was because of his party’s relentless campaign that the extradition request was submitted by the government in February.
On the other hand, former CBI Director Anil Sinha hailed Mallya’s arrest in London as a “success” of law enforcement agencies and added that efforts to bring him back would “fructify”. “It is a success of law enforcement agencies. I am confident that efforts to bring him back will fructify,” Sinha was quoted as saying by PTI.
Mallya fled India on March 2 last year, and is wanted in several economic offences cases, including defaulting on loans worth thousands of crores of rupees. His now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks. In addition, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case earlier this year.
India had, in February this year, given a formal extradition request for Mallya. According to senior Indian officials, the case will now involve a legal process in the UK to ascertain whether he can be extradited to India to face charges here. For now, the court proceedings will continue in London.
(With inputs from agencies)
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