MEA suspends Mallya's passport

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday suspended passport of beleaguered industrialist and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Mallya who is facing an Enforcement Directorate probe for “money laundering”.

The MEA suspended Mallya’s diplomatic passport following an advice from the ED, which also moved a special court seeking a non-bailable warrant against him. The MEA stated that Mallya has been asked to respond within one week as to why his passport should not be impounded or revoked under Section 10 (3) (c) of the Passports Act, 1967. 

The ED request came after Mallya failed to appear before the agency despite being summoned by it thrice between March 10 and April 2.

The



ministry stated that the passport could be impounded or revoked if he failed to respond within a week to a notice issued to him. Mallya was issued the diplomatic passport after he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

“If he fails to respond within the stipulated time, it will be assumed that he has no response to offer and the MEA will go ahead with the revocation,” said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

Mallya, who is now in the United Kingdom (UK), can continue to remain there even if his passport is revoked. According to the rules in the UK, a foreign national needs a passport to only enter or exit the country. New Delhi, however, can request London to extradite him.