Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday issued bailable warrant against businessman Vijay Mallya and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to execute the warrant at his current place of residence in United Kingdom (UK) by invoking the provisions of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) singed by India with the UK.

Mallya will have to furnish a bond for Rs. 50 lakh on service of warrant to him at his UK address.

A Division Bench comprising Justice B S Patil and Justice B V Nagarathna passed the order as Mallya failed to personally appear before the Bench, despite several opportunities, to frame charges against him in a contempt of court case initiated against him and the warrant issued earlier through the Bengaluru city police could not be served as he is not available at his Bengaluru address.

The High Court requires his personal appearance as it was found prima facie case against him to frame charges for allegedly breaching an undertaking given to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in 2013 during the proceedings on plea by a consortium of banks for recovering dues from Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

The contempt proceedings were initiated on a complaint by the banks that Mallya had pledged huge number of shares in violation of an oral undertaking before the DRT for not to transfer, alienate or otherwise to dealt with his assets.