Ministry of External Affairs revokes Vijay Mallya's passport
Enforcement Directorate had sought revocation of his passport after Mallya failed to appear before the agency thrice.
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday revoked the passport of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is embroiled in a money laundering case, after considering the facts put forth by the Enforcement Directorate.
"Having considered the replies furnished by Vijay Mallya to the show cause notice, facts brought by enforcement directorate and non bailable warrant under the PMLA ACT, 2002 issued by special judge, Mumbai, the MEA revoked the passport of Vijay Mallya under section 10 (3) (c) and 10 (3)(h) of the passports act, 1967," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
After having considered replies by @TheVijayMallya, MEA revokes his passport under S.10(3)(c) & (h) of Passports Act pic.twitter.com/Stb9rX63OV
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) April 24, 2016
The ministry is also consulting legal experts on the deportation of Mallya who is facing charges of money laundering and other financial irregularities.
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.
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.
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.
"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. Mallya had left India on March 2.