Hyderabad: Vijay Mallya on Monday lost a UK High Court appeal against his extradition, a major turning point that brings India closer to getting back the embattled liquor tycoon wanted in the alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores.
Here is the Chronology of Vijay Mallya Extradition case:
- May 2005: United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL) Chairman Vijay Mallya's luxury airline - Kingfisher Airlines - starts commercial operations.
- June 2007: Kingfisher Airlines decides to purchase debt-ridden Air Deccan.
- 2008: UBHL paid Rs 550 crore for a 26 percent stake in Air Deccan.
- March 2008: Kingfisher Airlines debt touches Rs 934 crore due to spike in oil prices.
- 2009: Airline debt reaches Rs 7,000 crore.
- 2011: Airline accumulated losses reach more than 50 percent of its net worth.
- 2011: 11 bank accounts were suspended by the service tax department for non-payment of Rs 70 crore.
- 2012: Mallya gives guarantees of Rs 5,904 crore for carrier’s loan.
- 2013: A consortium of Indian banks led by State Bank of India approached United Breweries Holdings Ltd for the payback of a loan amounting to Rs 6,493 crore on behalf of Kingfisher Airlines.
- March 2013: Kingfisher Airlines net worth falls to negative of Rs 13,000 crore.
- December 2014: United India Bank recognises UBHL, guarantor of Kingfisher Airlines as wilful defaulter.
- February 2015: SBI led bank consortium takes possession of Kingfisher House in Vile Parle.
- April 2015: United Spirits Limited (USL) asked Vijay Mallya to step down as chairman and director of fund on alleged fund diversion.
- October 2015: CBI conducts raids on Vijay Mallya’s offices in connection with Rs 950 crore loan provided by IDBI Bank.
- December 2015: CBI questions Vijay Mallya in Rs 900 crore IDBI Bank’s loan.
- February 2016: SBI led consortium moved debt recovery tribunal (DRT) to attach Vijay Mallya’s passport.
- March 2016: Vijay Mallya in discussion with banks to settle debt.
- March 2016: Mallya fled India and took refuge in London. Charges of fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores.
- Feb 2017: India sent extradition request to UK.
- April 2017: Scotland Yard arrests Mallya on an extradition warrant after he surrenders at a central London police station. He is released on bail within hours after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds.
- September 2017: Another case management hearing in the case when Mallya's defence team informs the court of plans to depose six experts they intend to rely upon in their evidence.
- October 2017: Mallya is re-arrested in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and is released on the same bail conditions, as the CBI and ED cases are clubbed together for the purposes of the extradition trial.
- November 2017: A pre-trial hearing in the case takes note of additional "supplemental" charges of money laundering to the previous charges of fraud, amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores.
- December 2017: Mallya's extradition trial begins.
- 07 December 2017:: The hearing resumes with Mallya's defence claiming his offer to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to the Indian banks, led by State Bank of India, had been rejected.
- 13 December 2017: : Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where Mallya is to be held on extradition, comes into focus as the defence seeks to discredit its suitability through the witness statements of UK-based prison service expert Dr Alan Mitchell and the dismiss his claims.
- January 2018: The hearing returns for the judge to hear arguments for and against the admissibility of certain evidence in the case.
- March 2018 : The judge notes that it is "blindingly obvious" to her that rules were being broken by Indian banks, which sanctioned some of the loans to the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines as the case returns for hearing.
- September 2018: The court asks the Indian authorities to submit a video of Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai to allay all doubts over its suitability as the case edges towards conclusion.
- December 2018: Westminster Magistrates' Court judge ordered the extradition of Mallya. The UK Home Secretary will have to sign Mallya's extradition order within two months. However, Mallya's defence team has a chance to appeal in higher courts in the UK against the verdict.
- February 2019: UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid orders Mallya's extradition to India.
- July 2019: The Royal Court of Justice in London passed an order which allows the fugitive to appeal against his extradition order to India.
- 11 February 2020: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya appeared before the Royal Courts of Justice in London to challenge his extradition orders. His lawyers appealed against the orders to extradite him to India in fraud and money laundering charges, saying that the magistrates’ court’s orders had “multiple errors”
- 13 February 2020: Mallya requests the banks with folded hands, take 100 per cent of your principal back, immediately.
- 20 April 2020: Vijay Mallya loses his High Court appeal in the UK against extradition order to India.
(Inputs from Agency)
