Hyderabad court issues non-bailable warrant against Mallya

Hyderabad, March 13 A city court here has issued non-bailable warrants against now defunct Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya and chief financial officer A.Raghunath in an alleged cheating case.

The 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate G.S. Ramesh Kumar directed police to produce Mallya in court by April 13.

The liquor baron is currently in Britain.

The court issued the NBW on a petition filed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. seeking prosecution of Mallya for defaulting on payments and cheating the company by issuing cheques that bounced.

The airport officials had filed 11 cases against Kingfisher for non-payment of dues to the tune of Rs.8 crore.

Cheques issued for Rs.50 lakh had bounced and a case in this connection was filed against him under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The court had issued warrants against Mallya, the CFO and the company's authorised signatory, asking them to appear before it on March 10. However, none of them appeared.

When the matter came up for hearing on Saturday, Mallya's lawyer pleaded for exemption from appearence for some more time.

The GMR lawyer opposed the plea on the ground that it is not a routine case.

The lawyer also brought to notice of the court that there are indications that Mallya had left the country despite a lookout notice being issued. He cited a statement made by the attorney general in the Supreme Court a day earlier about Mallya's flight from the country.