Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya has been sentenced to four months jail and a fine of Rs 2000 for a contempt charge by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha said, “Adequate punishment is a must. Mallya didn’t show any remorse.”
The Supreme Court has also ordered Mallya’s family members to repay the 40 million US dollars transferred to them in violation of court orders.
The bench had reserved its order on March 10 in the case observing that proceedings against the liquor baron had hit a ‘dead wall’.
The Top Court after hearing senior advocate and amicus curiae Jaideep Gupta on various aspects, decided to permit the counsel, who was earlier representing Mallya to file written submissions if any by March 15.
Mallya’s counsel told the bench that he was handicapped in the absence of any instruction from his client, who was in the United Kingdom, and would not be able to argue on the quantum of sentence to be awarded in the contempt case.
The Apex Court said that many opportunities were given to the liquor baron to appear either personally or through a lawyer. Mallya was given clear instructions on November 30 last year. A consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India had moved the top court alleging that Mallya was not following the court orders on repayment of loan worth over Rs 9,000 crore.
The Court was told that Mallya was not disclosing the assets and moreover, transferring them to his children in violation of the restraint orders.
Vijay Mallya has been guilty of contempt in 2017, and the matter was thereafter to be listed to hear him on the proposed punishment to be awarded to him.
In 2020, the top court had dismissed Mallya’s plea seeking review of the 2017 verdict which held him guilty of contempt for transferring USD 40 million to his children in violation of court orders.
Since 2016, Mallya has been in the UK on bail on an extradition warrant executed by the Scotland Yard on April 18, 2017.