ED gives extension to Mallya to appear on April 2

Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accorded a two-week extension to business tycoon Vijay Mallya to appear before the agency in connection with a money-laundering case, official sources said here on Friday.

The fresh summons, requiring Mallya’s presence on April 2, follow Mallya’s failure to make a personal appearance before it on Friday, March 18, as per the earlier summons.

On Thursday, Mallya had sought time till April to respond to the ED summons claiming prior commitments abroad.

Denying last week that he was ‘absconding’, the former liquor baron — known as ‘king of good times’ — said he was an ‘international businessman’ currently abroad on a business trip and was expected to return by March-end.

The former chief of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. is facing charges of default of bank loans amounting to around Rs.9,000 crore to a consortium of Indian banks.

Besides this, the Central Bureau of Investigation and ED are investigating a suspected money-laundering case against him.

In his absence, the banks have initiated process to auction off his fixed and movable assets, including the Kingfisher House in Mumbai, several vehicles, furniture and fittings etc., to recover their dues.