The Bombay High Court on Tuesday made it clear to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya that it will not hear his challenge against being declared a fugitive economic offender unless he first returns to India and submits himself to the court’s jurisdiction.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad questioned Mallya’s counsel about when the businessman intends to come back to India. The court observed that a person cannot seek relief from Indian courts while remaining outside the country and evading the legal process.
Mallya, who has been living in the United Kingdom since 2016, has filed two petitions before the High Court. One challenges the order declaring him a fugitive economic offender, while the other questions the constitutional validity of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, enacted in 2018 to deal with high-value economic offenders who flee the country.
The court emphasised that unless Mallya physically returns and places himself under Indian jurisdiction, it would not consider hearing his plea challenging the Act. The bench conveyed this stance firmly to senior advocate Amit Desai, appearing on behalf of the former liquor baron.
Vijay Mallya, now 70, is wanted in India to face trial in multiple cases involving alleged fraud and money laundering linked to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines. Indian authorities have been seeking his extradition from the UK for several years.
The court’s remarks underline a broader judicial principle that fugitives cannot selectively invoke the protection of Indian courts while avoiding accountability under Indian law.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
