New Delhi–Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said the government will use all options available to bring beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya back to the country.
“The agencies will make every endeavour under the options available,” Jaitley said in a media interaction at the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) here.
Mallya, who is accused in a Rs.9,400-crore loan default case, is currently living in the United Kingdom (UK). He left India on March 2, using his diplomatic passport.
The UK government has refused to deport Mallya on the plea that he entered the country with a legitimate document, and despite India suspending the passport, it will not deport the person, Jaitley said.
“There are two separate procedures — one is deportation, another is extradition. The United Kingdom has conventionally never been helpful in deportation,” he said.
The Indian government now needs to go through the extradition process and file a charge sheet in court against Mallya to bring him back.
“The United Kingdom expects you to go through the extradition process, which is as per their law where the requirement is that once you file the charge sheet in the court you start the extradition proceedings with due process of law,” he said. (IANS)
