Financial fraudster Vijay Mallya sentenced to jail by the Supreme Court of India

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The Supreme Court of India has sentenced business tycoon Vijay Mallya to four months in prison for not obeying previous court orders related to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.

The Airlines, which was the country’s second largest air carrier, collapsed over ten years ago and many of the loans given to Kingfisher Airlines by banks still remain unpaid.

The Supreme Court found Mallya guilty of contempt after he defaulted on a loan and failed to disclose his assets.

According to the court in 2017, the fugitive, who is believed to be currently residing in London, was found guilty at the time for allegedly sending $40 million (approximately £34 million) to his children, despite the loans given to Kingfisher Airlines already stacking up.

Mallya left India for the UK in 2016 after defaulting on debts of more than £842 million but has said that he did not flee the country. 

The fugitive was told by a court in London in 2018 that he was going to be extradited from the UK to face charges in India. Since then, he filed several appeals to avoid being sent back to his home country.

However, in 2020, he lost his final appeal to remain in the UK at the High Court in London, but he is still believed to be living in the UK’s capital.

Mallya faces multiple charges related to financial irregularities and fraud at Kingfisher Airlines, which came to light in 2012 that workers and staff had been working unpaid for 15 months. This led to his subsequent downfall and the Airlines was shut down.