After Britain declined India’s request to deport Vijay Mallya, ED has now sought an Interpol arrest warrant against the liquor baron to make him join investigations in connection with a money laundering probe case.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has written to CBI to obtain a Red Corder Notice (RCN) against Mallya from the global police body. CBI acts as the nodal office for execution of Interpol warrants in India.

An RCN is issued “to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action” in a criminal case probe. Once the said notice is issued, the Interpol seeks to arrest the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end.

The agency has been wanting to make Mallya join investigations “in person” in the over Rs 900 crore IDBI loan fraud case in which it registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) early this year. It has virtually exhausted most of the legal options to make Mallya join the probe including issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him from a Mumbai court based on which it made the requests for the revocation of his passport and subsequent deportation bid to bring back the businessman from the UK.

However, Britain has made it clear that Mallya cannot be deported and asked India to seek his extradition instead. The British government said it acknowledges “the seriousness of allegations” against Mallya and was “keen to assist” the Indian government in this case.