New Delhi: In a big setback for absconding liquor baronVijay Mallya, the Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed his plea seekingprotection from adverse action by govt agencies in connection with the ongoingprobe against him on loan repayments and money laundering. Mallya had leftIndia in March 2016 and owes close to Rs 9000 crore to banks.

In January this year, Mallya, had become the firstbusinessman to be declared an FEO under the provisions of the new FugitiveEconomic Offenders Act which came into existence in August 2018. He hadchallenged the action of ED under FEO Act, calling it “unconstitutional”.

In June 2019, the Royal Courts of Justice, London, approvedMallya's plea to appeal against the extradition case. The appeal plea was filedby Mallya in April. He remains on bail on an extradition warrant which wasexecuted by Scotland Yard in April 2017. In 1992, an Extradition Treaty wassigned by India and the UK and the treaty has been in force since November1993.