PM Modi, on a number of occasions, said that he and his govt. would make all the possible efforts to bring fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya back to our country. However, the UK judge under whom the extradition case of Mallya is being heard has mocked delay on the part of India in giving evidences against him.
When Emma Arbuthnot, Westminster Magistrates Court’s chief magistrate, got to know that the Indian govt. would take more time for sending the proofs against Mallya, the magistrate finalized 4th Dec, Tuesday, for the hearing which will continue for two weeks.
Aaron Watkins, the representative of India, stated that it would take about 3-4 weeks for Crown Prosecution Service to get the proof as well as review the same.
The chief magistrate took a jibe at India by asking,
“Are Indians normally very prompt in their responses? They have taken six months so far and we haven’t got any further forward in the past 6 weeks.”
Arbuthnot added,
“If there is still no sign of the evidence, then April 2018 is a possibility (for the full hearing). If we have everything, then it may look like December.”
Aaron maintained that the material they had got from India was “not insubstantial”. Talking about the next hearing date, it’s 6th July but Vijay Mallya has been denied attending it. On this date, the court will be observing whether each and every proof is submitted or not.
The businessman told journalists, “I deny all allegations that have been made and I will continue to deny them.” He even claimed that there had been no diverted loan and stated, “You can keep dreaming about a billion pounds; you cannot prove anything without facts.”
Mallya’s representative Ben Watson tried for postponing the hearing till spring 2018. He said,
“We have not yet received the final evidence from the government of India. This began on January 31 and it’s now June and we still don’t have the case. There has also been a second extradition request which we have not yet seen which adds to the uncertainty of this.”
Crown Prosecution also responded to the same and here’s what they told Times Of India,
“There is no second extradition request. The defence asked about a second request that they believe the Indian government may submit, but at present there is nothing concrete to consider.”
As per Ben, Vijay Mallya almost encountered a “battle” for entering the building of the court. Not only this, “cameras were thrust in his face” and that’s why, he urged for arranging physical barriers to “protect him from the press” in the next date of hearing. At this, Mallya had been asked not to attend the next hearing.