Mallya a proclaimed offender if he doesn’t appear by July 27

Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya may be declared a proclaimed offender if he does not present himself before a PMLA court here by July 27 in connection with a case of alleged loan fraud.

The Proclamation was issued by a special anti-money laundering court here on June 14 under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing his role in the Rs 900-crore IDBI-Kingfisher Airlines loan case.

While the agency has served the order on Mallya through official channels, it is understood that it will also publicise it in leading dailies as per procedures laid down in this regard.

Sources said the court has asked Mallya to present himself on or before July 27, failing which he could be declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO) in the said ED case, being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had sought the proclamation notice to be issued against Mallya as it said he had “multiple” arrest warrants pending against him, including a non-bailable warrant (NBW) under the PMLA, and that the agency wants him to join probe “in person”. 

A person can be termed a PO in a criminal case probe if the court has reasons to believe that the accused against whom a warrant of arrest has been issued by it, has absconded or is concealing himself so that such warrant cannot be executed.