Indian tycoon Mallya arrested in London for extradition

LONDON: Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya has been arrested in London on an extradition request from India, where he is accused of fraud, British police said on Tuesday.

"Vijay Mallya, 61, was arrested on behalf of the Indian authorities in relation to accusations of fraud," the police said in a statement.

He will appear in court in London later on Tuesday, the statement said.

The flamboyant financier secretly fled India in March 2016 owing more than $1 billion after defaulting on loan payments to state-owned banks and allegedly misusing the funds.

India submitted an extradition request to Britain in early February after investigators demanded that Mallya be brought home to face charges.

His financial dealings are being probed by India's Central Bureau of Investigation and its federal Enforcement Directorate, a financial crimes agency.

Mallya, who once branded himself the "King of Good Times" and was known for his extravagant lifestyle, was sacked in February from the board of United Breweries, the company through which he once controlled his business empire.

He made Kingfisher beer a global brand and ran a now-defunct airline with the same name, besides being the owner of a cricket side and a Formula One team.

 Copyright AFP (Agence France-Press), 2017