The Supreme Court will pronounce its order Monday in a review petition filed by fugitive Indian businessman and former Member of Parliament Vijay Mallya against a May 2017 judgment of the top court. The court had pronounced him guilty of contempt of court for violating its orders and those of the Karnataka high court.
The judgment will be pronounced by a bench of justices UU Lalit and Ashok Bhushan.
“He is guilty of disobeying the orders passed by this court (Supreme Court) in not disclosing full particulars of the assets as was directed by this Court. He is guilty of violating the express orders of restraint passed by the high court of Karnataka in the same cause from which the present proceedings have arisen,” the Supreme Court had said in its order passed on May 9, 2017.
When the case came up for hearing in June 2020, the top court had sought an explanation from its registry officials regarding the undue delay in listing the review petition.
When the matter was taken up on August 6, it was adjourned again since some crucial records pertaining to the case could not be located. Eventually the case was heard on August 27 and reserved for verdict.
At least 14 banks had moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal, Bengaluru, against Mallya seeking recovery of over Rs 6,300 crore owed to them in 2016 by Mallya’s companies. The banks had also prayed that Mallya’s passport should be frozen and he should be arrested.
However, the DRT failed to hear those prayers, prompting the banks to approach the Karnataka high court seeking appropriate directions to DRT for speedy disposal of the applications they moved.
The high court had declined to grant such a prayer and the banks then moved the Supreme Court.
Mallya had fled the country by then. The Supreme Court in its May 2017 order had asked the Centre to produce Mallya before the court to decide on the punishment to be handed down to him for contempt of court.
“We direct the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi to secure and ensure presence of Respondent No.3 before this Court on 10.07.2017,” the order read.
