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Mallya extradition case in UK: Over 2,000 pages submitted by India
India has submitted more than 2,000 pages of material related to financial offences allegedly committed by businessman Vijay Mallya to the Westminster Magistrates Court in connection with his extradition case.
The Indian government has submitted more than 2,000 pages of material related to financial offences allegedly committed by businessman Vijay Mallya, whose extradition case came up before the Westminster Magistrates Court here on Thursday.
The chief magistrate, Emma Arbuthnot, set September 14 as the next date of hearing after Mallya’s team sought time to go through the material, some of which was delivered to the team on Wednesday. Mallya’s bail conditions will continue till December 4, the date for the full extradition hearing to begin.
Mark Summers, lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service that is representing India, told the court there was “excellent cooperation” from the Indian government, and based on the material submitted, a prima facie case had been established against Mallya.
“We are ready to proceed to a full hearing,” Summers said. He told the magistrate the prosecution is keen for the hearing to begin earlier than December 4.
Mallya, exempted from appearing in court, attended the hearing and gave non-committal responses to waiting journalists: “Let the CBI provide the evidence they have. We will also state our case. We are in court now, I have nothing more to say.”
This was the third “case management hearing” after Mallya’s arrest and bail on April 18 and a hearing on June 13. Mallya’s legal team is scheduled to submit evidence related to the grounds it has raised to oppose his extradition.
The material submitted by New Delhi included an assurance about prison conditions in India (in some previous cases, the person whose extradition was sought had opposed it on the grounds that Indian prison conditions were not up to the required standard).
The Indian high commission said the documents included charge-sheets, supplementary charge-sheets, non-bailable warrant of arrest, evidence and witness statements.
“Evidences regarding the falsities and misrepresentations made by Mr Vijay Mallaya and officials of the Kingfisher Airlines have also been provided. The UK side are satisfied with the material supplied by the Indian agencies and will be used by them appropriately during the extradition proceedings,” the mission said.
Mallya’s team sought time to study the material and suggested that besides the scheduled date of December 4, the court retain the option of scheduling it for April next year.
Unlike previous extradition cases that were unsuccessful because of the quality of paperwork or evidence that did not hold up in British courts, Indian sources said all necessary steps were taken to ensure there are no gaps in the Mallya case.
