Property seizure draconian, Vijay Mallya tells Bombay HC
Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya on Monday informed the Bombay high courtroom that confiscation of his houses underneath the newly-enacted Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) changed into draconian and might no longer assist the lenders.
Mallya’s remaining month approached the Bombay high court, challenging a January five order of a unique Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court docket maintaining him a fugitive economic offender under the FEOA Act.
In accordance with the provisions of the Act, once someone is declared a fugitive, his home may be confiscated by the prosecuting company, the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Mallya recommended that Amit Desai Monday instruct a division bench of Justices I.A. Mahanty and A.M. Badar that the ED confiscating the houses might no longer assist the lenders. “Confiscating is draconian. The need of the hour is to deal with the banks and creditors. Mallya does now not want the houses to be returned to him. We are only pronouncing that confiscation with the aid of the authorities will not remedy the problems of the banks and creditors,” Mr. Desai stated.
While opposing the petition, the ED argued that the object of the Act changed to make inevitable the return of someone who turned into evading arrest in India.
“These complaints are to ensure that those people who committed fraud and depart the United States are brought again. The second Mallya returns to India, and the provisions of this Act and the manner initiated below shall become null and void,” the ED said.
The bench has published the petition for a further hearing on April 24. However, the next hearing on ED’s software seeking to start seizures is scheduled for April 8.