Supreme Court to pronounce verdict against Vijay Mallya on July 11

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on July 11 its order on the quantum of sentence against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in a contempt case where he has been found guilty.

As per the cause list of July 11 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit would pronounce the order.

On March 10, a bench comprising Justices Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha had reserved orders on the sentence.

The Supreme Court in February granted the last opportunity of two weeks to 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 a logical conclusion.

The apex court had accepted the contentions of amicus curiae and senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, who was assisting the court in the matter, that on the issue of quantum of sentence Mallya is given the last opportunity to make his stand in the case.

"In his (Gupta) submission matter may be adjourned for a short time with an expression that this would be a final opportunity and in case he chooses to not remain personally present or advance submissions through counsel, the court may proceed further with the matter. Going by submissions... we adjourn for 2 weeks. Respondent contemnor is at liberty to act in directions of November 30, 2021 order failing which matter shall be taken to logical conclusion and proceeded further," the bench had stated in its order.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had clarified that it's not 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.

In 2021, 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 quantum of punishment in the contempt case against him.

Earlier, Solicitor General appearing for Ministry of External Affairs had furnished a document of Deputy Secretary (Extradition) Ministry of External Affairs, to which the bench had said the proceedings for extradition of Mallya to India from the United Kingdom has attained finality but certain "confidential proceedings" are pending in the UK, details of which are not known.

The Centre had also said that Mallya has already exhausted all his avenues of appeal in the UK.

The Supreme Court had issued its May 9, 2017, order on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), claiming he had allegedly transferred $40 million received from British firm Diageo to his children in "flagrant violation" of various judicial orders.