NEW DELHI (TIP): After the setback over Vijay Mallya‘s deportation from the UK, Indian investigative agencies have now renewed their efforts to get the liquor baron back through Interpol.
The CBI has forwarded the request by Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Interpol Headquarters for issuance of the notice, official sources said.
The ED had sought an Interpol arrest warrant against Mallya to ensure that he appear before the agency for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe that arouse out of a CBI probe into his Rs 9,431 crore loan default.
The agency wrote to the CBI, which acts as the nodal office of Interpol, to obtain a Red Notice against Mallya from the global agency.
The Red Notice is issued “to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradite or similar lawful action”. After the notice is issued, the Interpol seeks arrest of the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end.
The ED had issued summons to Mallya thrice in March and April but he refused to join the questioning in connection with the probe into the Rs 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case. After the summons were ignored, the ED got a Mumbai court to issue non-bailable warrant against him based on which it made the requests for the revocation of his passport.
After revocation of his passport, the deportation request was sent to Britain, but it was declined and the UK?asked India to seek his extradition instead. The British government said it acknowledges “the seriousness of allegations” against Mallya and was “keen to assist” the Indian government in this case. Trying to put Mallya on the mat, the ED is also contemplating attaching domestic assets and shares worth about Rs 9,000 crore. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said New Delhi will initiate extradition process after a charge sheet is filed to bring back Mallya.