Even as he renewed an appeal against his extradition to India, embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya suffered another legal setback on Friday in a separate $40 million claims case brought by British liquor giant Diageo Plc in the U.K. High Court.
Justice Clare Moulder ruled against the 63-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss’ application to seek a delay in the full hearing in the case scheduled for May 23, and additionally ordered him to pay legal costs of £34,000.
She was critical of the “unexplained” delays by Mallya in clearing unpaid invoices of his previous solicitors, Greenwoods, which resulted in his new solicitors, Joseph Hage Aaronson (JHA), wanting to seek an unfair adjournment.
“The delay is at best unexplained and arguably of the defendant’s [Mallya] own making,” Justice Moulder said, concluding that Mallya was “the author” of his “own misfortune”.