Fugitive Vijay Mallya seeking 'alternate route' to avoid India extradition, admits lawyer in UK court

23-01-2021

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya admitted in a UK court that he is seeking �alternate route� to avoid extradition to India. The 65-year-old�s counsel Phillip Marshall made the admission that Mallya has applied for �alternate route�, which is effectively asylum in the UK, and therefore not sent back to India despite British courts ruling in favour of India�s extradition request. Under UK laws, the extradition process cannot go ahead unless UK Home Secretary moves on the asylum request. The hearing was meant to seek the release of �2.6 million funds parked with the UK court to fund Mallya's legal fees. However, the judge ended up grilling the counsel on Mallya's extradition status. Marshall responded that his client has applied for an "alternate route" which was also the reason for added legal expenses. Judge Barnett made the enquiry on Friday even as Mallya included the cost of additional legal proceedings in his application for release of funds from court funds office for living expenses and litigation costs. The fugitive economic offender was to be extradited to India in May 2020 in order to face charges of money laundering and fraud. The admission by Mallya�s counsel was made during the bankruptcy proceedings in the high court, brought by the consortium of India banks to whom he owes Rs 10,647 crore. This is an important development in the case given Mallya's legal has so far denied revealing anything on extradition proceedings. It marks the first time that former liquor baron has admitted publicly, through his counsel in court, that there is a legal case lodged with the home UK secretary, in other words applying for asylum in the UK in order to escape facing trial in India for economic offences. The UK Extradition Act, 2003, lays down that an application for asylum can be made even after the commencement for extradition proceedings. The Act also makes clear that unless a final decision is made on the asylum application, extradition proceedings cannot take place.