Govt to hire UK arbitrator to bring back Vijay Mallya

The government is planning to get on board a UK-based “independent arbitrator” to appear on behalf of Indian authorities and put up a strong case of extradition against absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official said.

The move comes in view of India’s past experiences with extradition cases and long-drawn legal processes.

Mallya was briefly arrested in London on Tuesday over accusations of fraud by Indian probe agencies and presented before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court for an extradition hearing. He was released on bail a few hours later.

The 61-year-old businessman had fled India last year after banks started seeking his arrest over unpaid loans tied to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

“The person who will represent the case should be well-versed with the judicial system of the country where the matter will be heard. The court of law differs from country to country, so it is essential that the representative knows the law and legal remedies of that country,” said the official cited above.

Sources said there were at least a dozen instances in the past when Indian agencies lost cases due to lack of understanding of the State laws.

Some officials said the chances of Mallya being extradited anytime soon were less than 30 per cent, considering the “civil” nature of charges against him. He can seek relief on the grounds that he is not one among the “big loan defaulters”. Loan default cannot be a major factor to extradite any person, another official of the enforcement agency said.
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Vijay Mallya arrested in London, gets bail; could be extradited to India

Businessman Vijay Mallya has reportedly been arrested in London by Scotland Yard just weeks after UK set in motion the process of extradition of the industrialist who has been declared a proclaimed offender.

Mallya fled to UK in March 2016 after being pursued in courts by banks seeking to recover about Rs 9,000 crore owed by his Kingfisher Airline.

Last month, the British government certified India's request and sent it to a district judge for further action.

CNBC-TV18 on Tuesday reported that Mallya has been produced in a local court in the UK and will soon be handed over to India.

Mallya, however, later tweeted that the whole arrest issue was "the usual Indian media hype" and that it was only the scheduled court hearing on extradition that had taken place:

Vijay Mallya 

✔@TheVijayMallya

Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected.

Mallya has avoided several summon notices from Indian courts.  

Despite multiple injunctions, he has failed to appear before investigators at the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Earlier in January this year, a CBI court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case.

Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016.

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Angry Birds maker Rovio opens new games studio in London

Finnish mobile games and animation company Rovio Entertainment said on Monday it was stepping up its hunt for new hit games by opening a studio in London to focus on new multiplayer games that would not rely on the firm's Angry Birds brand.

Privately-held Rovio has struggled in recent years as profits from the Angry Birds franchise dropped, prompting deep job cuts and divestments.

But last year Rovio launched an animated Angry Birds 3D Hollywood film that it said did well at the box office and yielded new licensing deals.

"Our business is profitably growing, and the time has come for us to grow in numbers too," said Antti Viitanen, head of Rovio's game studios.

The company said it was looking to build a team of about 20 people in London to focus on "massively multiplayer" online games - like Supercell's Clash of Clans - with new intellectual property.(Read More)