Supreme Court issues notice to ED on Vijay Mallya's plea

Mumbai, December 7: The Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate, ED, on industrialist Vijay Mallya's plea challenging the ongoing proceedings in a Mumbai court to declare him a fugitive economic offender.

 

The apex court issued notice on Mallya's plea but refused to stay the proceedings before the Mumbai special court. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul sought the probe agency's response on the plea against the ongoing trial before a special court under the money laundering act.

The ED moved the special court seeking to declare the London based industrialist a fugitive economic offender under the Fugitive Economic Offender Act 2018. The Bombay High Court recently dismissed Mallya's appeal. The industrialist has filed an appeal against the high court order.

The ED had filed an application in July before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court seeking the “fugitive economic offender” tag for Mallya under the Fugitive Economic Offenders’ Act, 2018. It had also sought immediate confiscation of around Rs 12,500 crore worth of assets.

Mallya had sought a stay on hearing of ED’s plea, but it was rejected by the special court on 30 October. Mallya then challenged this in the Bombay High Court, which refused to interfere in the proceedings.