No timeline for Vijay Mallya’s extradition to India, says UK envoy

The envoy declined to answer a question during a virtual news briefing on whether Vijay Mallya had sought asylum in the UK, saying the British government never comments on individual asylum cases.

Updated on: Jul 23, 2020, 15:28:23 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Rezaul H Laskar

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The UK cannot give a timeframe for the extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya though the British government and courts are clear on their roles in preventing people from avoiding justice by moving across national borders, UK high commissioner Philip Barton said on Thursday.

Last month, India said it had asked the UK not to consider any asylum request from Vijay Mallya, currently on bail pending his extradition. (Photo: Reuters)

Barton declined to answer a question during a virtual news briefing on whether Mallya had sought asylum in the UK, saying the British government never comments on individual asylum cases.

“The UK government and the courts, [which] are independent of the government, are absolutely clear about their roles in preventing people avoiding justice by moving to another country. We are all determined to play our part in any case, and to make sure that we’re working together to ensure that criminals can’t escape justice by crossing national borders,” he said.

Mallya’s extradition was ordered in February but “there is an ongoing legal case and I can’t comment any further on that and I can’t say anything at all about timescales”, Barton said. “The UK government understands the importance of the case,” he added.

Last month, India said it had asked the UK not to consider any asylum request from Mallya, currently on bail pending his extradition, as there are no grounds for his persecution in the country. India has also said it has sought the early extradition of Mallya from the UK.

The UK has so far only said a “confidential” legal issue was holding up Mallya’s extradition but that it was trying to deal with the matter as quickly as possible. Britain’s stance gave rise to speculation the 64-year-old businessman, wanted in India to face charges of financial irregularities, could have applied for asylum.

Mallya lost his appeal in the UK high court in April against the 2018 order to extradite him. Last month, the high court also refused Mallya permission to appeal in the UK Supreme Court.

He is wanted in India to face charges of financial offences involving Rs 9,000 crore borrowed by his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines from several Indian banks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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