From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sentenced fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a former MP, to four months of imprisonment, with warning to attach his properties unless he deposits back US $40 million with interest within four weeks that he had transferred to his children.
“We sentence the contemnor to four months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000,” a Bench headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said.
The court pronounced its order on the quantum of sentence against the Mallya in a contempt case over non-disclosure of assets in a plea filed by a SBI-led consortium of banks for recovery of over Rs 9,000 crore.
The three-judge Bench also comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and P S Narasimha had on March 10 wrapped up the hearing in the matter and reserved its order.
The court had given a chance to Mallya’s lawyer to file written submissions even as he said he had nothing to say on merit.
Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, acting as Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court), had submitted that the court has given several chances for Mallya to appear and so now the court must pronounce a verdict.
The Home Ministry informed the court that the United Kingdom Home Office has intimated there was a further legal issue that needed to be resolved before Mallya’s extradition takes place.
In 2020, the Supreme Court denied Mallya’s request to reconsider his 2017 contempt conviction for transferring US $40 million to his children against court instructions. It held him guilty of contempt of court for transferring the money 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.
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