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In a contempt case against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya who was found guilty of contempt of court in 2017 for withholding information from the court, the Supreme Court will pronounce its order on July 11.
A bench of Justices UU Lalit, Ravindra S Bhat and PS Narasimha will pronounce the order on Monday. The bench had reserved the order on March 10 in the case.
The apex court, during the hearing, had noted that Mallya behaves like “a free person” in the United Kingdom and no information was forthcoming about the proceedings concerning Mallya there.
Amicus curiae, senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, assisting the bench in the case had submitted that Mallya was held guilty on two counts – for not disclosing assets and violating expressive orders of restraint passed by the Karnataka High Court.
Last year, the top court while saying that it has waited “long enough” and cannot “wait longer now” for Mallya to get extradited from the United Kingdom to India, decided to go ahead with the hearing on the quantum of punishment in the contempt case against him.
The top court had held Mallya guilty of contempt of court for transferring USD 40 million to his children in violation of the court’s order and sought his presence before it on various occasions.
On February 10, the Supreme Court granted the last opportunity of two weeks for Mallya to personally present or through counsel in the contempt case against him and if he fails to do so the court will take the matter to the logical conclusion.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that it’s not the Government of India’s stand that something confidential is going on in the case in the United Kingdom but it is what the government has been informed by the UK that there is something going on which can’t be shared.
