New Delhi: The lawyer representing fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya requested the Supreme Court on Thursday to relieve him from representing his client in a case as he was not receiving any communications from the liquor baron.
Mallya, accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, has been in the UK since March 2016.
"I want to be discharged from this matter. I am not receiving any instructions from this man", Advocate EC Agarwala told a bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli. The bench was considering two special leave petitions filed by Mallya in relation to a monetary disputes with the SBI.
The bench allowed the lawyer to follow the process for discharge from the case. But the court asked him to inform it about Mallya's email id and present residential address.
In July, the SC had sentenced Mallya to four-months imprisonment for contempt of court for violating orders.
The court also directed the government authorities to take steps to secure the presence of Mallya in India. In that case as well, Mallya's lawyer was allowed discharge and the court appointed an amicus curiae as Mallya did not appear.
Mallya, who is facing extradition proceedings in UK at the instance of the Government of India, is yet to appear in India to serve the sentence in the contempt case.
(With inputs from Live Law)
