Vijay Mallya Fails to Appear Before SC in Contempt Case
A bench comprising Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit fixed the matter for hearing on 14 July.
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Embattled businessman Vijay Mallya failed to make a personal appearance before the Supreme Court on 10 July, despite being directed to do so.
A bench, comprising Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit, fixed the matter for hearing on 14 July and sought the assistance of the Solicitor General in the case.
On 9 May, the apex court held Mallya, who is presently in the United Kingdom, guilty of contempt of court for his failure to furnish details of all his Indian as well as offshore assets. It had directed Mallya to appear before it on 10 July, to argue on the quantum of punishment.
Also Read: SC Defers Mallya Sentencing: What to Expect Now in Contempt Case
The offence of contempt of court entails a maximum imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of upto Rs 2,000 or both.
India had recently asked Britain to ensure early extradition of Mallya, who is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
The apex court's order had come on a plea by the consortium of banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had said that Mallya had allegedly transferred USD 40 million received from British firm Diageo to his children in "flagrant violation" of various judicial orders.
The banks had argued before the court that Mallya had wilfully disobeyed the orders and made "vague" disclosure about his assets.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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