UK High Court ruling in Mallya's extradition case positive step: Sources

After embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya lost an application to appeal in the UK's Supreme Court against his extradition, sources on Thursday termed the development a "positive step" in the process to bring the fugitive businessman back to India.

It is a positive step in the process of the extradition of Vijay Mallya, sources told .

Vijay Mallya has been refused permission to appeal to UK's highest court against a ruling to extradite him from the United Kingdom to India to face charges of defrauding a consortium of Indian banks of more than Rs 11,000 crore.

The application was filed weeks after the High Court in London -- the UK's second-highest court -- dismissed Mallya's appeal against a lower court ruling that he should be sent to India to face charges of defrauding a consortium of Indian banks relating to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines in 2012.

In his appeal to the High Court, Mallya's lawyers had argued that the Indian government had failed to prove a prima facie case against their client and raised a number of issues with the decision made in 2018 by Judge Emma Arbuthnot at Westminster Magistrate's Court in London.

Earlier in the day, ahead of today's decision, Mallya urged the central government to accept his offer to repay 100 per cent of his loan dues and close the case against him.

"Congratulations to the government for a COVID-19 relief package. They can print as much currency as they want but should a small contributor like me who offers 100% payback of state-owned bank loans be constantly ignored? Please take my money unconditionally and close," he tweeted.

( With inputs from ANI )