New Delhi: India hasn’t received any communication on Vijay Mallya’s extradition from the UK Home Office, amid speculation that the liquor baron may have already applied for political asylum.
The UK High Court has refused to let Mallya plead his case before the country’s Supreme Court, Paving the way for his extradition with in 28 days. The deadline to bring him back is June 11, 2020, as per the Extradition Act.
But sources say neither the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nor the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received any communication from the UK Home Office. The Indian High Commission in the UK hasn’t received any concrete information either,
Experts say that since Vijay Mallya has exhausted all legal options to avoid extradition, he’s left with two options: he either gets asylum or approaches the European Human Rights Court.
If Mallya gets asylum on political grounds, he can stay in UK for as long as he wants — as long as the treaty between India and Britain doesn’t change, or unless he flouts any conditions.
If Mallya has applied for asylum, it would have happened much before the UK High Court order which found him to be a fit case for extradition to India, sources say.
If he sought asylum after the court’s final order, then it will be rejected by the UK government.
By seeking asylum, the liquor baron can also delay the extradition further, since the UK Home Office won’t take a decision on it until one is made on his asylum plea. I.T
