The United Kingdom has conveyed to India that its request for extradition of industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender, has been certified by the secretary of state.
"The U.K. Home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of warrant," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.
The development is a step forward towards securing the extradition of the fugitive businessman wanted in India for a loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore.
Baglay also noted that a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the Extradition Treaty between India and the U.K. was handed over to the British High Commission through a note verbale on February 8.
While handing over the request, India had asserted that it has a "legitimate" case against Mallya and maintained that if an extradition request is honoured, it would show British "sensitivity towards our concerns".
Earlier in January this year, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.
Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.
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