ED seizes Rs1,600-cr worth of Vijay Mallya’s assets in PMLA case
12 Nov 2016
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth nearly Rs1,600 crore belonging to self-exiled liquor baron Vijay Mallya in connection with a money laundering case.
The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court issued orders for further attachments of Mallya's frozen assets and pledged shares under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
These seizures will be over and above the two earlier attachments worth around 8,000 crore under anti-money laundering laws.
The court, which declared Mallya a proclaimed offender, however, rejected ED's request for attachment of Mallya's overseas properties.
The ED said that now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines promoter Mallya has not cooperated with it in its investigation in the case till now.
"Mallya, who had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case has not cooperated in the ongoing investigation. He neither presented himself in pursuance of the summons issued to him by ED in March and April, 2016, nor honoured the directions dated June 21 this year of the court to appear before the court on July 29,'' an ED statement said.
''In view of his repetitive avoidance and non compliance, ED had filed an application before special court for PMLA to declare Mallya, a proclaimed offender under provision of section 82 of CrPC and attach his movable and immovable properties to compel the offender to join investigation,'' the statement added.
''Now on application of ED, the court has ordered attachment of shares having current market value of approximately Rs 1,620 crore. This is in addition to earlier attachment of movable and immovable properties worth Rs6.630 crore (market value) under PMLA by the ED,'' it further said.
Total attachment by the agency in this case is now Rs8,041 crore. ED had sought an order from the court under section 82 (proclamation of absconding person) of CrPC as several arrest warrants were pending against him. Mallya had failed present himself ''in person'' in connection with several investigations under PMLA, and in cases related to a Rs900-crore loan.