ED to seek Interpol arrest warrant against Mallya

Vijay Mallya had left the country on March 2 and is said to be in UK at present.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) ED will soon seek an Interpol arrest warrant against liquor baron Vijay Mallya based on a non-bailable warrant issued on Monday by a Mumbai court in a money laundering case.

Officials said the agency will soon write to the global police body, through the Indian nodal office of the Central Bureau of Investigation, to get issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Mallya.

Mallya had left the country on March 2 and is said to be in UK at present.

They said as the NBW is an "open dated" one, the agency is expected to undertake action according to set procedures in this regard which entail executing it by way of sending it to the person concerned and in case of no response, asking Interpol to red flag him.

An RCN, according to Interpol, 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.

ED has been urging Mallya to join the probe "personally" in connection with its criminal investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the alleged Rs 950 crore IDBI loan fraud case.

Acting on the central probe agency's request, the Ministry of External Affairs had recently suspended the Rajya Sabha MP's diplomatic passport as it sought to know from him within a week's time as to why his international travel document not be revoked permanently.

Mallya had refused to appear before the ED on three occasions when summoned between Mar 10 and April 2. 

Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images