Mallya's exemption cancelled in 16-year old case, told to appear in court

The crimes Mallya has now been accused of has been growing and growing in number. This time round, the Enforcement Directorate is pretty sure that they will be able to catch Mallya for good. India has been trying day in and day out to get Mallya back from the UK after he had fled the country in March. But now, a Delhi court on Friday cancelled his exemption from personal appearance in a case relating to alleged FERA violations. Chief metropolitan magistrate Sumit Dass directed Mallya to personally appear before the court on September 9 and cancelled a 16-year-old exemption from personal appearance granted in December 2000 in a complaint filed by the Enforcement Department (ED) for evading summons. The agency had summoned the businessman in connection with alleged payment of $200,000 to a British firm for displaying Kingfisher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998. ED invoked Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) charges accusing him of arranging funds to advertise his company's liquor products abroad without prior approval from the RBI. The order came on a plea of the ED, filed through prosecutor N K Matta, seeking to revoke the exemption. ED also wants the court to issue non-bailable warrants against the chairman of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines to secure his presence in the ongoing trial of the case, which is at its final stage. According to ED, Mallya was summoned on four occasions for questioning in connection with a contract signed in December 1995 with London-based firm Benetton Formula Ltd for promotion of the Kingfisher brand abroad. When Mallya failed to appear or respond to the summons, a complaint was filed on March 8, 2000 before a court here and later on charges were framed.

OUR TAKE

The very fact that the country had to wait 16 years for this case to finally get some movement shows the incompetence of the system in nailing corrupt individuals. There is no point in cancelling an exemption that dates back to so long ago. If we have not been able to nab him till date for such recent cases, why are we having hopes of catching him now? The Indian govt. should pressurize the UK govt. to cooperate. Otherwise the case would have no ending at all. He can evade the accusations all he wants, but the final blow, when it come, would prove to be very “ costly” for him.