ED seeks Interpol help for Red Corner Notice against Mallya

New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) In a key step towards securing the extradition of Vijay Mallya, the CBI on Thursday forwarded an Enforcement Directorate letter to Interpol seeking issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the liquor baron after Britain declined India's request to deport the businessman.

"We have forwarded the ED's letter to Interpol for the publication of RCN against Vijay Mallya," CBI sources told IANS.

The CBI forwarded the request to Interpol when ED, through a letter, sought the agency's help, a day after the UK declined India's request to deport Mallya.

ED wrote the letter to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to obtain a RCN issued by Interpol against Mallya as the CBI acts as the nodal agency for the execution of Interpol warrants in India.

An RCN is issued "to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action" in a criminal case probe.

Once the notice is issued, the Interpol seeks to arrest the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end.

The agency has been wanting to make Mallya join the investigations "in person" in the over Rs.900-crore IDBI loan fraud case in which it registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) early this year.

The probe agencies have taken help from legal options to bring back Mallya to join the investigation, including issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him from a Mumbai court. The agencies have also made the request for revocation of Mallya's passport and subsequent deportation bid to bring him back from the UK.

However, Britain has made it clear that Mallya cannot be deported and asked India to seek his extradition instead.

The British government said it acknowledges "the seriousness of allegations" against Mallya and was "keen to assist" the Indian government in this case.

ED is also mulling attaching the domestic assets and shares worth about Rs.9,000 crore owned by Mallya in connection with the case.