Kingfisher dragged to court as cheques bounce

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which manages Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, has filed a petition in a local court against Kingfisher Airlines for dishonouring cheques.

A case has been filed against Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines in Nampally criminal court in Hyderabad for dishonouring cheques worth Rs 10.3 crore (Rs 103 million), sources said.

When contacted a senior official of GHIAL refused to comment saying the matter is "subjudice".

Kingfisher spokesperson also refused to comment on the issue.

"Four cheques for Rs 10.3 crore which were issued towards airport charges (parking, landing and navigation) bounced. As the mandatory time for filing is getting closer, a case has been filed," sources told PTI.

Earlier in June, Mumbai International Airport, run by GVK Group, had filed a cheque bounce case against Kingfisher in a Mumbai criminal court.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) run by GMR group had filed a similar case dishonoured cheque of Rs 3 crore (Rs 30 million).

Kingfisher Airlines' loss widened to Rs 651 crore (Rs 6.51 billion) for the quarter ended June 30 2012 from Rs 264 crore (Rs 2.64 billion) a year ago.