UK sends Mallya extradition request to judge

NEW DELHI: The wheels of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya's extradition process have begun to roll, with the British government sending India's extradition request to a district judge, the first step towards a judicial decision that could send him back to India to face a court. "The UK home department on February 21 conveyed that India's request for the extradition of Mallya has been certified by the secretary of state and sent to the Westminster magistrates' court for a district judge to consider the issue of releasing of a warrant," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. Mallya is wanted with regard to pending cases of loan default case totalling over Rs 9,000 crore. Baglay said a formal extradition request for Mallya in line with the India-UK extradition treaty was handed over to the British high commission here through a note verbale on February 8. The British government decision seems to have followed the Indian request. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who was in UK last month, was told by the British leadership that they would take a "positive" view of the matter.