Fugitive Industrialist Vijay Mallya’s review plea against a May 9, 2017 order by the Supreme Court was not filed by the Supreme Court’s registry for 3 years after the plea being filed by Mallya. The Supreme Court has sought explanation from the registry for the delay in this regard
On May 9, 2017, the Supreme Court had directed the liquor baron to appear before it on July 10, after finding him guilty of contempt of court in a bank loan default case.
Vijay Mallya is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The plea in the Apex Court was filed by a consortium of banks.
However, soon after the Supreme Court order of May 9, Mallya had filed a review petition.
In an order passed on June 16, the Bench of Justices UU Lalit and Ashok Bhushan noted that the review was filed within the period of limitation, but was still not listed for three years.
The bench has sought explanation for the delay in filing by the registry and has also called for officers who were responsible for the delay. The court said-
“We direct the Registry to explain why the Review Petition was not listed before the concerned Court for last three years. The Registry to furnish all the details including names of the officials who had dealt with the file concerning the Review Petition for last three years.”
A two-week deadline has been given to the registry to respond and issue clarification
Vijay Mallya has been declared a proclaimed offender by India. The Supreme Court’s intervention in May 2017 was seen as impetus for the law enforcement agencies who had been trying hard to get the liquor baron extradited to India from the United Kingdom.
Read the plea order:
