Supreme Court awards Vijay Mallya four-month jail sentence, Rs 2,000 fine for contempt charges

SC awards fourth-month jail term to Vijay PTI

New Delhi: Vijay Mallya, a fugitive liquor baron, has been awarded four-month jail term and a fine of Rs 2,000 for contempt of court. The Supreme Court on Monday said, “Adequate punishment is a must. Mallya didn’t show any remorse.”

Pronouncing the sentence, the apex court today said that Mallya did not show any remorse for his conduct and did not appear before it during the sentence hearing.

The top court added that adequate sentence must be imposed on him to “uphold the majesty of law” and that directions need to be issued to ensure that the amount in dispute is available for execution of the orders.

For which case Vijay Mallya has been sentenced four-month jail term?

Mallya was found guilty in 2017 for transferring 40 million US Dollars to his children in violation of court orders in a case filed by State Bank of India-led banks consortium

The Court has also directed Mallya’s family members to deposit 40 million US Dollars with 8 per cent interest within four weeks failing which attachment proceedings will be initiated against his properties.

The consortium had said that Mallya had allegedly transferred 40 million US Dollars which he had received from British firm Diageo, to his children in “flagrant violation” of various judicial orders.

For the unversed, Mallya, an accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, has absconded to the United Kingdom.

A Supreme Court bench comprising justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha on 10 March this year had reserved its order in the case observing that proceedings against Mallya had hit a “dead wall”.

The hearing continued in the absence of the liquor baron. The government earlier informed the apex court that though extradition of Mallya from the UK has been allowed, he could not be brought to India in view of some “secret” proceedings pending against him there.

The Court even deferred the sentence hearing few times in the case, to give Mallya an opportunity to appear before it. The top court ultimately took a decision to proceed with the announcement of the verdict in his absence in view of his refusal to appear.

Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta was appointed as an amicus curiae in the Mallya case to assist the Supreme Court in the in absentia hearing.

With inputs from agencies

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