It is indeed a cat and mouse game as far as catching the liquor baron Vijay Mallya is concerned. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is behind arresting the defaulter in crores to Indian Banks. However, United Kingdom has informed that it cannot deport Vijay Mallya to India for not owning a valid Indian passport. The UK government has informed us that under the 1971 Immigration Act, the UK does not require an individual to hold a valid passport in order to remain in that country if they have extant leave to remain as long as their passport was valid when leave to remain or enter the UK was conferred. At the same time the UK acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations and is keen to assist Government of India. They have asked government of India to consider requesting mutual legal assistance or extradition and that seems to be only way to bring back the businessman. Knowing fully well about the cover up in this part of the world, Mallya silently left India and it is the headache of Indian Government to bring him back to the country and that too with complete assistance of the British Government.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
