In a latest development, a Hyderabad city court has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against beleagured businessman Vijay Mallya in connection with an alleged bounced-cheque case.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) had lodged a complaint about Kingfisher Airlines’ 50 lakh cheque that had bounced. The magistrate court in Nampalli, Hyderabad, issued the NBW against Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer Raghunath, and asked the police to present the duo at the court before 13 April. The court issued the NBW after the duo had failed to appear before the court on 10 March based on earlier complaints. GMR had filed 11 complaints against Kingfisher Airlines for non-payment of dues.
However, Mallya’s advocate H Sudhakar Rao reportedly said, “I will be filing an application in the high court for quashing this order of issuing warrants.”
On the other hand, T V Mohandas Pai, former Chief Financial officer and HR Head of Infosys, a Bangalore-based IT giant, drew a comparison between Mallya and the government-owned Air India, which had lost Rs 30,000 crores. “Air India has lost about Rs 30,000 crore. Why don’t you hold the people who manage (it) accountable for Air India losses like you hold Vijay Mallya (accountable for losses in Kinghfisher Airlines)?” a business newspaper quoted Pai on Monday.
Media reports say that Mallya, who is in the UK but earlier believed to have absconded, communicated through an email to a publication in the UK that it is not a conducive time for him to return to India as he had fallen ill due to the recent developments.
