New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee on Tuesday recommended Independent MP Vijay Mallya's expulsion from the Upper House, sources said. The development came a day after Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, resigned from the House.
The recommendation of the Ethics Committee will be made public on Wednesday.
In his resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, he said he does not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud".
"And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya said in the letter.
He also referred to the letter written to him by the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha Karan Singh and said he had replied to Singh.
This is Mallya's second term in Rajya Sabha and it would have otherwise come to an end on July 1.
Ethics Panel of the Upper House, which had taken up the matter, had unanimously decided in its April 25 meeting that Mallya should no longer remain a member of the House. The panel had decided to give Mallya one week time to explain his conduct.
In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had over a week ago revoked the passport of Mallya, who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2.
Mallya said he received a letter from panel Chairman Karan Singh dated April 25 in which it was stated that the Rajya Sabha Chairman had referred an issue to the Committee on Ethics regarding "purported default" by Mallya in the "repayment of bank loans", which have "not been reflected" in his declaration of assets and liabilities.
Mallya said the letter further stated that in a meeting "purportedly held" on May 25, the Committee on Ethics unanimously felt that he should be expelled from the Rajya Sabha.
Appending a copy of his reply to Karan Singh, Mallya, who faxed his resignation to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, asserted, "The allegations against me are blatantly false and baseless."
"I am shocked that the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has provided factually wrong information to a Parliament Committee," he added.
"Nevertheless since I do not want my name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud and since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya said.
In the panel meeting, JDU President Sharad Yadav had strongly pitched for immediate recommendation for Mallya's expulsion. However, some other members felt procedures had to be followed and he should be given time to explain his conduct.
The committee had sought details of the liabilities on Mallya's airline Kingfisher from 13 banks, which furnished their replies according to which the total liability on Mallya's company is Rs 9431.65 crore. Of this IDBI's liability alone is Rs 1687.04 crore followed by Punjab National Bank's Rs 1223 crore.
(With additional information from PTI)
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