Supreme Court Dismisses Vijay Mallya’s Review Plea Against 2017 Contempt Verdict

Vijay Mallya had filed the petition seeking review of the top court's May 9, 2017 order by which he was held guilty of contempt of court for transferring the USD 40 million to his children.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by fugitive liquor baron and businessman Vijay Mallya, seeking review of the May 2017 order that held him guilty of contempt of court. Mallya was held guilty for violating the top court and Karnataka high court’s order by transferring USD 40 million to his children.

A bench of Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ashok Bhushan had reserved the verdict on August 27 after hearing arguments from both sides. “We do not find any merits. Review petition dismissed,” the bench said today.

Vijay Mallya had filed the petition seeking review of the top court’s May 9, 2017 order by which he was held guilty of contempt of court for transferring the lumpsum amount to his children in violation of the order.

The May 2017 order of the Supreme Court had come on a plea by a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had said that Vijay Mallya had allegedly transferred USD 40 million received from British firm Diageo to his children in “flagrant violation” of various judicial orders.

Mallya, who is an accused in a bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore in connection with his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, is currently in the United Kingdom on bail on an extradition warrant executed three years ago by Scotland Yard.