Vijay Mallya has launched an attempt to halt extradition proceedings against him this week, lodging his application to appeal against the extradition order with the administrative court of the High Court in London. He had been widely expected to do so after British Home Secretary Sajid Javid on February 3 signed the extradition order against him, giving him a two-week window to launch appeal proceedings.

An official at the administrative court confirmed to BusinessLine that the application had been made on Thursday. A decision on whether to allow the appeal will be made by a judge — via paper submissions — in two-four weeks.

Should that attempt not be successful, Mallya would be able to ask for an oral hearing on the application to appeal.

Should he gain the right to appeal, proceedings would then take place at the High Court in the coming months. It means that Mallya will remain on bail on the extradition warrant.

Mallya had indicated his intention to appeal the decision following the December 10 judgment at Westminster Magistrates Court but had to wait to the formal signing of the order by Javid before he could launch the process.

Last week, the Home Office said the order had been signed after careful consideration of all matters.

Further opportunities

Should the appeal to the High Court fail, Mallya would still have further opportunities to attempt to overturn the extradition order, by seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, though that could only take place if the High Court certified that the appeal involved a “point of law of general public importance, and either the High Court or the Supreme Court gives leave for the appeal to be made.”

He could also, as a last resort, attempt an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, though such appeals are only allowed very rarely.

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