‘Cannot return due to revocation of passport’

Counsel for liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Friday informed a Delhi court that his client had conveyed his inability to visit India and appear before the court as directed despite his best intentions, because the Indian passport authority had revoked his passport.

Mr. Mallya’s counsel Ajay Bhargava made this submission before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Das, who had asked Mr. Mallya to appear at his court in person in connection with a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act violation case of 1995.

Alluding to a message sent to him by Mr. Mallya, Mr. Bhargava further submitted that his client had the utmost respect for the authority of the judge and towards the judicial system of the country in general. The lawyer said his client was making all the efforts to have the revocation set aside.