NEW DELHI — A day after the resignation letter of ex-billionaire Vijay Mallya from the upper house of India's Parliament was rejected on procedural grounds, an ethics panel of the house recommended his expulsion on Wednesday.
The 60-year-old multimillionaire left India for Britain in March owing more than $1 billion in unpaid loans, and is under investigation by a parliamentary ethics committee.
The businessman, whom the government calls a fugitive over unpaid debt owed by his grounded Kingfisher Airlines Ltd., violated the code of conduct laid out for members of the chamber called Rajya Sabha, Karan Singh, chairman of the Committee on Ethics, said in a report presented to lawmakers on Wednesday.
“The Committee was of the firm view that taking into consideration the gravity of the misconduct a sanction not less than termination of membership from the House is warranted under the circumstances,” according to the report. “The Committee hopes that by taking such stern action a message would reach to the general public that Parliament is committed to take such steps as are necessary against erring Members to uphold the dignity and prestige of this great institution.”
In his resignation letter dated May 2, Mallya said he is skeptical of getting a fair trial in India amid the “media frenzy” and “lynch mob mentality” and questioned the legal authority of the panel to consider his expulsion. His passport was revoked last month after he left India to be closer to his children in England.
The Enforcement Directorate, a specialized financial investigation agency focused on foreign exchange and anti-money laundering laws, obtained a non-bailable warrant against Mallya last month from a Mumbai court, where it alleged Kingfisher funds were transferred overseas to acquire property.
The panel report also said many former workers of Kingfisher Airlines haven’t received their dues for months, causing “acute distress to many families including children.”
“Taken together, all this adds up to a very serious picture of unethical behavior and breach of the Code of Conduct” on the part of Mallya, the report said.
Critics say the government has not done enough to tackle the issue of wealthy individuals such as Mallya, once dubbed the King of Good Times for his lavish lifestyle, failing to repay bank loans. — Agencies
