Enforcement Directorate seizes Vijay Mallya’s asset in France worth $1.9 million
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The Indian government had told the top court earlier that the Mallya cannot be extradited to India until a separate secret legal process in the UK is resolved.
India's Enforcement Directorate(ED) said today that fugitive Vijay Mallya's property worth $1.9 million in France has been seized under the anti-money laundering law.
French authorities seized the property in France after being requested by the Enforcement Directorate. The agency said the investigations revealed that "a large amount was remitted abroad from the bank account of Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (KAL)" for creation of the asset.
India's Supreme Court had earlier dismissed a plea filed by the liquor baron seeking a review of its May 2017 order holding him guilty of contempt for transferring $40 million to his children in violation of the court's order
Mallya is an accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore and has been in the UK since March, 2016. He is on bail on an extradition warrant executed three years ago by Scotland Yard.
India's top court had asked Mallya,64, about the "truthfulness" of his disclosure of assets and the transfer of money to his children.
Indian banks had accused Mallya of concealing facts and diverting money to his son Siddharth Mallya and daughters Leanna and Tanya in violation of the orders passed by the Karnataka High Court earlier.
The Indian government had told the top court earlier that the Mallya cannot be extradited to India until a separate secret legal process in the UK is resolved.