Ministry of External Affairs consulting experts for Vijay Mallya's deportation

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) is consulting legal experts for deportation of beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya 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."

Sources had already indicated that once deportation proceedings are initiated, the government will seek assistance of the United Kingdom to interdict Mallya and fly him back to India.

"There are two grounds for deportation — non-bailable warrant issued by a Mumbai court and suspension of passport," said a person in the know.