A Delhi court on Friday asked liquor baron Vijay Mallya to file a proper reply to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea, seeking to withdraw the exemption granted to him from personal appearance in a case lodged for allegedly evading summons in connection with purported violation of foreign exchange rules.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass passed the order, after noting that the reply filed by the accused through his lawyer did not bear Mallya’s signatures. The court has fixed the matter for May 28 for further hearing, after his counsel said that papers having Mallya’s signature were awaited.
The court had in December 2000 allowed Mallya’s plea, seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance.
The ED’s application, filed through prosecutor NK Matta, had requested the court to direct the accused for his physical appearance in the case, which is in its final stage. The ED has also sought issuance of non-bailable warrant against the chairman of now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines to secure his presence in the ongoing trial of the case.
In his reply filed on Friday through the lawyer, the accused has sought dismissal of the application filed by the ED but the court did not accept the response due to lack of Mallya’s signature.