Delhi court asks Mallya to appear on September 9

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday asked liquor baron Vijay Mallya to personally appear before it on September 9, after allowing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea to withdraw the exemption given to him from personal appearance in a case of alleged violation of foreign exchange rules. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass allowed the ED plea seeking recall of a court order granting permanent exemption from appearance to Mallya, who is in the UK and also faces money laundering charges in India. The court was hearing the final arguments in the 2000 case related to violation by Mallya of provisions of the erstwhile Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) in arranging funds to advertise his company's liquor products abroad. According to ED, Mallya had allegedly paid $200,000 to a British firm for displaying the Kingfisher logo in the Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The agency had claimed that the money was allegedly paid without prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India, in violation of FERA norms. Mallya was summoned and tried in the case. He was granted exemption from personal appearance by the Delhi court on December 20, 2000. The ED has sought withdrawal of exemption granted to Mallya and sought the court's direction asking him to personally remain present in court on each and every date of final arguments of the case.