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Mallya remains defiant as ED seeks deportation

On a day the Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking initiation of deportation proceedings against liquor baron Vijay Mallya, the defiant defaulter said that banks have no right over information on his overseas assets. In his affidavit placed before the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday, Mallya claimed that since he is an NRI, he is not obliged to disclose overseas assets, adding that his three children, wife, all US citizens, also needn’t disclose their assets. 

“Overseas assets were not considered while granting loans,” he said in his statement. Earlier on April 7, the Apex Court had directed Mallya to disclose by April 21 the total assets owned by him and his family in India and abroad.

Mallya’s affidavit comes in the backdrop of the ED seeking the help of ministry of external affairs (MEA) to arrest Mallya after a special court on Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the liquor baron. Following the warrant, the decks were cleared for a red corner notice to be issued by Interpol against Mallya and he could also be arrested anytime and anywhere in other country. 

The agency has written to MEA and will also soon write to the CBI to get an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against the Rajya Sabha MP to get him arrested, based on the NBW directed by a Mumbai court. Last week, the MEA had suspended Mallya’s diplomatic passport and sought a reply from him on why his passport should not be revoked as the ED said the businessman was not cooperating in the probe.

Mallya ignored three requests to appear in Mumbai for questioning by the ED, which is looking at whether he siphoned abroad nearly half of a  Rs 900-crore loan from IDBI. With the latest request for deportation, the ED has virtually deployed all legal measures in place to bring back Mallya to India and make him join investigations “in person”, which the agency had stated in a Mumbai court was essential to take the probe forward in the case.
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