A special Mumbai court issued open-dated non-bailable warrant against Vijay Mallya in money laundering case. Mallya  is involved in a Rs 900 crore money laundering case. On a plea by the Enforcement Directorate, the orders were passed by special judge PR Bhavake.

Now the path is cleared for the issuance of a red corner alert against Mallya by Interpol. A plea made by Kingfisher Airlines Limited was also rejected by the court, that sought not to pass any coercive orders against Mallya.

ED submission was denied by the airlines, which said that the liquor tycoon used Rs 430 crore IDBI bank loans to buy property abroad.

According to a TOI report, the airlines in its plea had said, "it appears that the principal allegation made in the application by the ED is that the Enforcement Directorate has allegedly stumbled upon evidence that Rs 430 crore out of the money loaned by IBDI to Kingfisher Airlines Limited was allegedly transferred overseas for property acquisition by Vijay Mallya."

The allegations were "vehemently denied" by the airlines that sought to produce information to show how the ED was wrong.

The airlines said in its plea that, It is "imperative for this Court to consider and take into account the information and relevant material that show how ED is wrong in suggesting that Mallya has used the loan amount for buying property before any coercive steps are ordered to be taken as prayed for by the Enforcement Directorate."

- Sumana