India's Enforcement Directorate attached shares worth £162 million at current market value, all belonging to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owner Vijay Mallya after an anti-money laundering court declared him a proclaimed offender. The shares include those held in group companies like United Breweries Holdings Limited, United Breweries Limited and United Spirits Limited.
"Mr Mallya was declared a proclaimed offender under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court also ordered attachment, by way of seizure, of his shares held in group companies, under Section 83 of the CrPC. This prohibits the delivery of such property to the accused or to any person on his behalf," a senior ED official said. Mallya has not cooperated in the ongoing investigations, not appearing when summoned by the ED in the money laundering case. "He neither presented himself in pursuance of the summons issued to him by the ED in March and April, nor did he honour the court directions issued on June 21 instructing him to appear on July 29. The court had also issued non-bailable warrants against him in April," the official said. He added, "In view of his repetitive avoidance and non-compliance, the Directorate had filed an application before the court to declare him a proclaimed offender and attach his movable and immovable properties to compel him to join the probe."
The ED had moved court last month seeking that Mallya be declared a proclaimed offender and his properties be attached as he did not comply with a proclamation order issued against him in June requiring him to appear before the court. The agency had sought an order from the court under section 82 (proclamation of absconding person) of CrPC as several arrest warrants were pending against him. A person against whom a warrant has been issued can be declared a proclaimed offender if the court believes that he or she has absconded or is evading execution of warrant.
In September, the Directorate had attached assets worth £663 million that included shares of United Spirits Limited, United Breweries Limited and McDowell Holding Co. worth £363.5 million held by Mallya, United Breweries Holding Ltd. and his controlled entities. Mandwa Farm House, worth £2.5 million at Alibaug in Maharashtra, flats in Kingfisher Tower in Bengaluru, worth £56.5 million and fixed deposits of Mallya with HDFC for £10 million were also attached.
