New Delhi: Business tycoon Vijay Mallya on Friday suffered a major blow when his diplomatic passport was suspended by the government which has threatened to revoke it.
To add to his misery, the Enforcement Directorate, which is probing money laundering charges against the flamboyant 60-year-old liquor baron, on Friday moved a special PMLA court in Mumbai seeking a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with a Rs. 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case.
Mallya is facing money laundering allegations in connection with a Rs. 900-crore IDBI Bank loan default by his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Sources said the agency has also cited various pending court cases against Mallya in connection with alleged loan de-frauds and dishonouring of cheques.
The passport of Mallya, who is an MP and has been in Britain for over a month and has refused to appear before the ED, was suspended by the External Affairs Ministry on the recommendation of the agency.
"On the advice of the Enforcement Directorate, the Passport Issuing Authority in the MEA has today suspended the validity of Vijay Mallya's diplomatic passport with immediate effect for a period of 4 weeks, under Section 10 A of the Passports Act, 1967.
"Mallya has been asked to respond within one week as to why his passport should not be impounded or revoked under section 10(3)(c) of the Passports Act, 1967. If he fails to respond within the stipulated time, it will be assumed that he has no response to offer and the MEA will go ahead with the revocation," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
Mallya, who had refused to appear before the ED on three occasions when summoned between Mar 10 and April 2, had left the country on March 2 the day the consortium of 13 banks that had lent him money had closed in on him by moving the Debt Recovery Tribunal.
The consortium also later rejected his offer of paying an initial instalLment of Rs.4,000 crore and settling the rest of the amount later.
Failing to respond to the ED summonses, Mallya had repeatedly sought fresh dates but the agency declined any further relief.
(With inputs from agencies)
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