India News

Scotland Yard arrests Mallya, who gets bail

Published

9 years ago

April 18, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Liquor baron to pay for making off with over Rs 9,000 crore, but what about the banks who loaned him the money?

By Sujit Bhar

Karma catches up with you sooner or later. And when karma is worth Rs 9,000 crore in public money defalcated, it will probably catch up with you sooner rather than later, complicit banks’ wishes notwithstanding. Vijay Mallya’s arrest by Scotland Yard, around 9.30pm London time, speaks volumes about how the spat might come back at the banks, none among whom have been penalized for the massive Kingfisher Airlines scam.

Mallya, of course, was produced at the Westminster magistrate’s court later in the day and got bail. Later, he tweeted (see picture): “Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected.”

We have all been educated on the ills and spills of Mallya, the liquor baron who fled the country a year back, his first class luggage comprising 11 massive suitcases full of goodies that nobody within the law enforcement system presumably saw. He stayed out, spending time at parties and with his Force India Formula One team. Mallya has said he has been termed guilty “without a trial”.

India had taken time to react, having asked the British government only in February to have Mallya extradited. In India he will be facing charges of money laundering and there are several warrants out in the country for him. India cited its extradition treaty with the UK and the extradition request was handed over to the British High Commission in Delhi through a note verbale on February 8.
This is not to say that Mallya can no more manipulate the law enforcement system in India. His party days maybe over for the time being, but freedom isn’t that far off either (if he is transferred back to India, at all, that is. He has already got bail). India’s law enforcement agencies have been as much at fault as the banks, for not only allowing him to flee, but for allowing the businessman run away with huge debts on his shoulders in the first place. Technically, as per recent announcements by the government, there is a move to shift all bank NPAs into another company that will do the necessary debt restructuring. That would also imply that the NPAs will have been removed from the banks’ books. With them will, probably, be removed names such as Vijay Mallya’s.

Technically, the corrupt system of India suits Mallya better than the better organized financial system of the UK where he thought he would spend the rest of his grey-hair days, frolicking. Mallya, in India, will once again land amid his sycophants and cronies, building a formidable legal wall and a Gordian knot that nobody will have the sense to untie with a swishing blade.

On the other hand, if the UK allows his deportation, and if the law acts tough, Mallya will have tomes to write about corrupt bank officials who acted in cohorts with him in siphoning off public money into offshore accounts.

Proclaimed offender

India’s extradition request—Mallya has been declared a proclaimed offender—to the UK government for Mallya was certified by the UK Secretary of State (home minister).

Which meant that the British government realised the gravity of the situation and decided to take action, if the magistrate so felt. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay has been quoted in the media as saying: “The UK home department on February 21 conveyed that the request of India for 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 warrant.”

It, of course, took into consideration a Delhi court’s decision last week to put out an open-ended non-bailable warrant against him in a case of foreign exchange violation. The 61-year-old’s passport had been cancelled earlier, but initial approaches to the British government fell through because he had a valid British visa and could legally stay in London.

Now that the London court has granted him bail, things just might get a little more complicated for India. The CBI’s chargesheet against Mallya is on cheating and conspiracy. He defaulted on a Rs 900 crore loan from the IDBI bank in 2009. As per the chargesheet Rs 250 crore of this money, meant to buy aircraft, went to one of his offshore accounts instead.

$ 40 million for his children

Technically Mallya is being prosecuted on several counts, including FERA violations. It was the FERA violations issue that can get him back to India, though his huge defalcations from banks rank pretty high. Recently, amid this controversy, Mallya had transferred $40 million to his children. He gave little explanation on his position on this huge transfer. In a tweet he said: “I have humbly obeyed every single Court Order without exception. Seems as if Government is bent upon holding me guilty without fair trial.”

Another interesting tweet by Mallya said: “Public Sector Banks have policies for One Time Settlements. Hundreds of borrowers have settled. Why should this be denied to us?” He said that the loan settlement offer has been rejected by the lenders (banks).

The banking scam and the insolvency door

Now to the banks. Before going into the details, one must recall an interesting comment made by finance minister Arun Jaitley last year. In an effort to explain the fall of Kingfisher Airlines, Jaitley reportedly commented that maybe Mallya’s business model was not right, because other airline companies were making money.

Then he said that law says that a Member of Parliament could lose his membership if he becomes an “adjudged insolvent”. Problem is, for that a bankruptcy law is necessary.

“Generally, if you are not paying, that is different from the legal language in the constitution. There has to be a system under which you are adjudicated and judged as a declared insolvent and that only happens if you have an insolvency law in place. That’s what the parliamentary committee is looking at, not in his context but independent of that,” Jaitley had said.

This one has to pass without comment.

But that the banks were complicit cannot be washed away. It is strange, why Mallya is being considered the only guilty person in all this. Banks, per se, deal with public money. If a bank is lending to an entity, it is the responsibility of the bank (especially when it is a PSU) to verify the credentials of the intended debtor. Loans for small and micro projects are impossible to come by from banks. This has become a proven truth. But when it comes to these big borrowers, the banks’ purse strings open up.

This is a key situation. If Mallya returns, banks should not get away with their ends of deals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Assam makes Muslim marriage registration compulsory under new rules

Assam has approved rules for compulsory registration of Muslim marriages, with couples able to register through government marriage registrars.

Published

7 hours ago

September 25, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Assam Cabinet has approved the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, establishing the procedure for mandatory registration of Muslim marriages in the state.

The rules operationalise the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Act, 2024, which replaced the earlier Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935.

Who will register Muslim marriages in Assam?

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Muslim couples will now be able to register their marriages with government marriage registrars.

The government had earlier decided that kazis would not register Muslim marriages under the new system, but there was uncertainty over who would carry out the registration. The newly approved rules establish the registration mechanism through marriage registrars.

Sarma said that if the number of applications becomes large, the government could give marriage-registration powers to officers at the panchayat level so that applicants do not face difficulties.

What does the 2024 law say?

The 2024 Act made the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces with the government mandatory. It also prohibits registration of marriages that do not meet the legally prescribed minimum age requirements.

The law specifies the minimum marriage age as 18 years for females and 21 years for males.

The legislation was introduced by the Assam government with the stated objective of curbing child marriage and ending the earlier kazi-based registration system.

Under the previous 1935 law, marriage registration was conducted through kazis and was not compulsory. The earlier system also allowed registration involving minors in certain circumstances, while the new law does not permit such registration.

Registration timeline and penalties

The 2024 legislation provides that Muslim marriages should be registered within 30 days of the marriage. It also provides for registration of divorces within one month of their occurrence.

The law also contains penalties for violations. Producing fake or forged certificates can attract imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to Rs. 10,000, or both, along with action under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Registering a marriage in violation of the law can attract imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to Rs. 50,000.

The Assam Cabinet’s approval of the 2026 rules provides the administrative framework for implementing the compulsory registration system.

India News

Trump-Xi Summit: Trade, Taiwan and AI among key takeaways

Trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and strategic rivalry were among the key issues highlighted during Donald Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in Washington.

Published

7 hours ago

September 25, 2026

APNLive Desk

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House amid discussions on trade, artificial intelligence and the broader strategic relationship between the United States and China.

The summit came as Washington and Beijing continued to navigate disagreements over tariffs, Chinese purchases, rare-earth supplies, technology restrictions and Taiwan.

Here are five key takeaways from the Trump-Xi summit.

Trade truce gets an extension

The United States and China agreed to extend their trade truce by two months, giving both sides additional time for negotiations.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the extension would provide Washington and Beijing more time to work on economic issues. However, several major questions remain part of the negotiations, including tariffs, Chinese purchases, rare-earth supplies and technology restrictions.

Bessent said China was meeting its earlier commitment to buy 25 million tonnes of US soybeans but was behind its pledge to purchase $17 billion worth of other agricultural goods.

US officials have also said that Chinese rare-earth deliveries were falling short.

Taiwan remains a major point of tension

Taiwan was another important issue during the discussions.

Xi Jinping pressed Trump on Taiwan and urged the United States to handle the issue with “prudence”, according to China’s official news agency. Its English-language service also said Xi hoped Washington would oppose Taiwanese independence.

The report noted that the US has traditionally said it does not support Taiwanese independence, while avoiding an explicit statement that it opposes it.

There was no immediate White House readout of the exchange on Taiwan.

Trump and Xi differ on AI

Artificial intelligence was another area where the two leaders expressed different positions.

Trump has said he wants to avoid new AI guardrails and instead rely on the US Department of Justice. He has also maintained that China shares this approach.

Xi, however, said the United States and China have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good.

He said AI development should remain under human control and serve people’s well-being.

The contrasting positions underline the importance of AI and technology in the broader US-China relationship.

Strategic rivalry remains a concern

Xi also referred to the “Thucydides Trap”, a theory associated with the risk of conflict between a rising power and an established one.

He argued that competition between the United States and China should be about catching up rather than a contest in which one side must defeat the other.

Xi said the risks could be overcome and called for regular military dialogue and stronger mechanisms to prevent crises.

Trump, meanwhile, highlighted areas where the two countries could cooperate, referring to their shared wartime history and common interests.

Summit also featured elaborate ceremony

The White House visit was accompanied by an elaborate display of ceremony.

The programme included military performances, fighter jets and bombers flying overhead, as well as the recently redesigned South Lawn and a large helipad bearing the presidential seal.

The highly publicised setting contrasted with the unresolved differences between Washington and Beijing on trade, Taiwan, technology and strategic issues.

The summit therefore highlighted both the effort to maintain dialogue between the two powers and the significant issues that remain unresolved.

India News

Akhilesh Yadav launches SP’s 2027 UP poll campaign from Rahul Gandhi’s seat

Akhilesh Yadav launched the Samajwadi Party’s 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election campaign from Rae Bareli, represented by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Published

7 hours ago

September 25, 2026

APNLive Desk

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has formally begun the party’s campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, launching the outreach from Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Yadav travelled through the area on the party’s newly launched PDA Rath before addressing a public meeting. The campaign vehicle carries the Samajwadi Party’s PDA messaging, referring to its focus on backward classes, Dalits and minorities.

Akhilesh Yadav discusses alliance with Congress

During his Rae Bareli visit, Yadav said the Samajwadi Party would contest the 2027 election as part of an alliance and indicated that seat-sharing would be decided on the basis of winnability.

He said the party would give a seat to whichever alliance partner is considered capable of winning it. The remarks come against the backdrop of the SP and Congress having contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election together in Uttar Pradesh.

Rae Bareli has particular political significance for the Congress as Rahul Gandhi is its sitting Lok Sabha MP. Yadav’s decision to begin the campaign from the constituency therefore placed the SP’s alliance with the Congress in focus.

PDA Rath becomes centrepiece of campaign

The PDA Rath was rolled out as part of the SP’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Assembly election. The vehicle prominently carries the party’s PDA messaging, with PDA standing for Pichhde, Dalit and Alpsankhyak.

The campaign is aimed at taking the SP’s social-justice messaging to voters across Uttar Pradesh as the party prepares for the Assembly election.

During the programme, Yadav also attacked the BJP and raised issues including the Election Commission and what he described as the alleged misuse of election machinery. These are political allegations made by the SP chief and should be understood as such.

BJP reacts to Akhilesh Yadav’s campaign

The launch of the PDA Rath comes as political activity intensifies in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

The BJP has responded to Yadav’s campaign and his political messaging, while the SP has continued to focus its outreach on the PDA social coalition and its alliance strategy with the Congress.

The 2027 contest is still ahead, with parties using the period before the election to strengthen their organisational networks, public outreach and alliance arrangements.