Broke Vijay Mallya bought property worth $10 million in Trump Plaza last month: TV reports

NEW DELHI: Even as a money laundering probe against Vijay Mallya gathers pace, reports emerged that the liquor baron had bought an apartment in New York's iconic Trump Plaza for $10 million.

According to TV reports, Mallya paid a token amount of $4.6 million in 2010 for the penthouse, which is in his daughter's name Tanya.

Mallya, according to reports, got a letter from Trump Plaza in 2015, seeking settlement for the remaining amount. It is reported that the outstanding amount was paid by him in March, the same time when Enforcement Directorate had stepped up heat in a loan default case.

Facing a non-bailable arrest warrant, Mallya on Thursday had told the Supreme Court that he was prepared to deposit an additional Rs 2,468 crore over and above the earlier offer of Rs 4,400 crore against the demand of Rs 9,000 crore by a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India (SBI).

Remaining silent on the court's question about his return to India, Mallya said this was the best offer he could make given that his attempt to run Kingfisher Airlines was ruined because of high oil prices, excessive taxation and faulty aircraft engines, which together resulted in a loss of Rs 6,107 crore to him, his family, UB group and Kingfisher Finvest.

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) is consulting legal experts for Mallya's deportation in a money laundering probe under the Rs 900-crore IDBI loan fraud case.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the ministry has requested for Mallya’s deportation proceedings to be initiated for ensuring his presence in India for investigation. He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought both revocation of passport and deportation after a sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Mallya. "Those two actions are underway," said Swarup.

MEA has "suspended" Mallya’s passport and is examining the response he sent through his lawyer to a show cause notice asking why his passport should not be impounded or revoked. Swarup declined to divulge details, saying, "Now we are consulting legal experts."