Deportation of Vijay Mallya not possible: UK to India

Wednesday the government had to face a lot of disappointment when they tried to bring the controversial businessman Vijay Mallya back to India. UK had refused to deport the liquor tycoon claiming that he didn't need a valid passport to stay in the country. Vijay Mallya's passport was cancelled by India last month as he was absconding and they even tried to speak to the authorities for his deportation. The severity of the allegations against Mallya was realized by UK and they offered to bring him back although this did not comfort the Centre which seeks to his early return to India. The offer of extraditing him made by the UK is a lengthy process which will need to undergo various legal proceedings and it does not guarantee his return in the near future. Arun JAitley who is the finance minister stated that Mallya's extradition will be looked into by the government once a charge sheet is filed against him. He even told the Rajya Sabha that UK had also communicated to India that deportation would not be possible when a person had entered Britain with a valid passport and the passport was subsequently cancelled, as per his information. & quot Cancellation of passport does not result in automatic deportation, that is the stand taken by the UK,& quot said Arun Jaitley. He also mentioned that the nation had taken a similar stance in other cases earlier and said that India will need to ask for an extradition after the filing of a charge sheet is done. Sharad Yadav a JD(U) member had picked up the matter earlier to know what had happened to the government's claims that they had to go out of their way to bring Vijay Mallya back to the nation. In yet another statement the foreign ministry had stated that UK has acknowledged the severity of the allegations against Mallya and was keen to assist the Indian government. Vikas Swarp the MEA spokesperson said, & quot The UK government has informed us that under the 1971 Immigration Act, the UK does not require an individual to hold a valid passport in order to remain in the UK if they have extant leave to remain as long as their passport was valid when leave to remain or enter the UK was conferred. They have asked GoI to consider requesting mutual legal assistance or extradition.& quot UK's response was received in a fortnight when India has requested for Mallya's deportation. His passport was officially cancelled in a bid to safeguard his presence for the investigations against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Up until now there is no non-billable warrant against Mallya.

OUR TAKE

The hue and cry in India about Vijay Mallya and his dirty acts have fallen on deaf ears in the UK. The fact that the matter has stretched on so much even after repeated assurance from the Indian government regarding deportation of the criminal makes it very clear that some dirty business is being carried out behind the curtains. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley should take the matter forward with the UK and enforce strictly the decision of the government to bring back the liquor baron. Easy going attitude should be forgotten and the iron fist should finally come down upon Mallya.