India revokes Mallya's passport
India has revoked the passport of Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines has been accused of having defaulted on loans of over Rs 9,400 crore.
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"Having considered the reply furnished by Vijay Mallya to the show cause notice, facts got by Enforcement Directorate and non-bailable warrant under the PMLA Act, 2002 issued by special judge, Mumbai, the MEA has revoked the passport of Vijay Mallya," External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
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The ministry is also consulting legal experts on the deportation of Mallya who is facing charges of money laundering and other financial irregularities.
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The diplomatic passport of the flamboyant 60-year-old industrialist, who is understood to have been in Britain for over a month and has refused to appear before the ED, was suspended on April 15 by the External Affairs Ministry on the recommendation of the agency.
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ED has approached the MEA seeking initiation of deportation proceedings against liquor baron Mallya charged with money laundering in the Rs 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case.
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Sources have already indicated that once the deportation proceedings are initiated, the government will seek assistance of the United Kingdom to interdict Mallya and fly him back to India.
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"The grounds for deportation are primarily two. A non-bailable warrant issued by the Mumbai court and suspension of the passport of the businessman," they said.
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Mallya had left India on March 2.