Mallya flew away like a kingfisher: HC

The Bombay High Court on Monday observed that businessman Vijay Mallya had aptly named his company ‘Kingfisher’ as, like the bird of the same name, he too flew away without bothering about boundaries.

The remark was made by a Division Bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and B.P. Colabawala while hearing an appeal filed by the Service Tax Department (STD), and also another petition seeking to recall the auction sale of Mallya’s private aircraft filed by the department.

Appeal admitted “Does anyone know why he [Mallya] came up with the name ‘Kingfisher’ for his entity? In history, no one could have come up with a more apt name for this entity. Because the kingfisher is a bird that can fly away...it knows no boundaries...no boundaries can stop it. Just like how no one could stop him [Mallya],” Justice Dharmadhikari said.

The court admitted the appeal filed by the Service Tax department and posted it for hearing at a later stage.

According to the STD’s plea in the HC, Mallya owes Rs. 32.68 crore as service tax from tickets sold to passengers of Kingfisher Airlines between April 2011 and September 2012. The total unpaid dues that Mallya owes to the department stand at about Rs. 532 crore.

In the second petition, the department sought to recall the auction sale of Mallya’s personal jet as the highest bidder had bid only 80 per cent of the plane’s total cost. The court has posted this petition for hearing on September 26.

Mr. Mallya’s Airbus A319 jet, which can carry 25 passengers and about six crew members, has been attached by the STD.

In May this year, the department issued a notice advertising the auction, and it described the Airbus as designed “exclusively for exotic and luxurious use”. — PTI