The Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, which oversees the moral and ethical conduct of elders, has taken cognisance of cases against Vijay Mallya, who has been declared as ‘wilful’ defaulter of over ₹9,000 crore bank loans.

According to the Rules, the Committee will hold preliminary investigation of the case. It can summon the member for obtaining evidence. If proven guilty of unethical behaviour, the panel can censure, reprimand, suspend or invoke any other sanction against the member.

Chairman of the panel and senior Congress MP Karan Singh said Vice-President Hamid Ansari had sent the committee a “file” on Mallya.

“We had a meeting of the panel today (Monday). The (Mallya) issue was not in the agenda. The Vice-President had forwarded a file on him to us. We have taken cognisance of it,” he told BusinessLine .

When asked if Mallya will be summoned, he said procedures of the panel will be followed.

The 10-member panel headed by Singh has Satish Chandra Misra (BSP), Avinash Rai Khanna (BJP), Sharad Yadav (JDU), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Mukul Roy (Trinamool Congress), Neeraj Shekhar (Samajwadi Party), A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) and Devender Goud T (TDP) as members. There is one vacancy.

Cong storms well

Meanwhile, Congress members in the Upper House stormed to the Well of the House and raised slogans against the Centre for allegedly helping Mallya to flee.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said the matter has been referred to the Ethics Committee. Raising the matter, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said the government is protecting a defaulter. He said the industrialist was elected to the Rajya Sabha with BJP support.

Cong vs BJP tussle

Both the Congress and ruling BJP have been accusing each other of protecting Mallya.

“What was the compulsion of Congress that it helped Mallya time and again? It should make it clear instead of trying to mislead the nation by blaming Modi government. Why did you open his frozen accounts? Why did State Bank of India give him loan of ₹3,100 crore despite his poor finances?” asked BJP Secretary Shrikant Sharma.

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