ED wants PMLA court to declare Vijay Mallya an absconder, attach his properties

In more trouble for the beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, the Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it had approached the special PMLA court here seeking to declare him an absconder and attach his properties as he did not comply with a proclamation order issued against him. "We have moved the court to declare Mallya an absconder and attach his properties," an ED official said.

The special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act here had declared Mallya -- who left the country in March -- a proclaimed offender in June. After such an order is issued, the person has to appear before the court within a stipulated period, but Mallya did not do that, so the ED moved the court again for getting him declared an absconder.

The agency had sought an order from the court under CrPC Section 82 (proclamation of absconding person) to term the liquor baron a proclaimed offender as several arrest warrants were pending against him. The warrants were related to the cases including those under PMLA, and also for check-bouncing.

A person, against whom a warrant has been issued, can be declared a proclaimed offender if the court believes that he or she has absconded or is evading execution of warrant.

ED wanted Mallya to join the investigation "in person" in connection with its probe under the PMLA and cases related to a Rs 900-crore loan from IDBI Bank. It said it had exhausted other legal remedies like seeking Interpol arrest warrant and getting his passport revoked. It also wanted to invoke the India-United Kingdom Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to get Mallya extradited from the UK.