The government is on a wait-and-watch mode to see if businessman and chief of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya will appear before the Supreme Court on July 10.

“As of now, we will wait to see if he appears before the Supreme Court…extradition proceedings are also on. All efforts are being made to ensure he returns to India and pays his dues to the banks,” said a senior official, adding that the matter is before the apex court.

Sources said that if Mallya does not return to India and to appear before the Court, it could add strength to the extradition proceedings that have already been initiated by the UK.

In high-level talks, India has asked the UK to ensure early extradition of Mallya. But it could still take up to one year for government agencies to bring him back, they added.

Mallya, left India in March last year on a diplomatic passport to the UK and has not joined investigations by the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, despite official summons.

His now defunct Kingfisher Airlines has dues of ₹9,432 crore and is considered as a wilful defaulter after it failed to pay back loans to a consortium of 13 banks. Based on a request from India, the UK initiated extradition proceedings against him. In April this year, the two-time Rajya Sabha member was briefly arrested in London last month and was released on bail the same day.

The UK court is now expected to hear Mallya’s extradition plea on May 17.

While Mallya had at that time tweeted “Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected,” he is silent on today’s Supreme Court order.

However, the UB Group Chairman can be seen in a picture posted by his son Siddharth Mallya on a social media website of his 30th birthday celebrations on Monday.

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