SC judge opts out of hearing Mallya's plea against ED move

Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman on Monday recused himself from hearing liquor baron Vijay Mallya's petition against the confiscation of his properties by the Enforcement Directorate. 

The apex court directed the matter to be listed before an appropriate bench. 

In the petition filed last year, Mallya submitted that no properties other than those related to Kingfisher Airlines, which is facing cases of alleged irregularities, should be attached. 

On January 1, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai, which deals with offences related to money laundering, allowed banks which had lent money to Mallya to utilise the seized assets, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources had said. 

According to sources, the seized assets mainly comprise financial securities such as shares. 

On July 11 last year, the Bombay high court had dismissed Mallya's petition seeking a stay on the procedure for the confiscation of his properties by a government agency. 

A special PMLA court had on January 5 declared Mallya a fugitive economic offender and directed that the properties of the 63-year-old be confiscated. He had fled the country in March 2016 and has been living in the United Kingdom since then.