The External Affairs Ministry has suspended the validity of Mr. Mallya’s diplomatic passport with immediate effect for four weeks, under Section 10 A of the Passports Act. Vijay Mallya is an Indian businessman and politician. The son of another businessman Vittal Mallya, he is the ex-chairman of United Spirits Ltd, the largest spirits company in India.  Mr Mallya failed to appear three times before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating money laundering charges against him.

Section 10 A of the Act empowers the authorities to suspend passports or travel documents in certain cases. The suspension order is communicated to all the ports of entry or exit in India.

Mr. Swarup said Mr. Mallya was asked to respond within one week why his passport should not be impounded or revoked under Section 10(3)(c) of the Act. The provision is invoked if the passport authority deems it necessary to suspend the document in the interest of the country’s sovereignty, integrity or security and its friendly relations with other countries, or in public interest.

Other cases of passports being revoked:

• Sacked Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi found his passport revoked on March 4, 2011 for eluding investigating agencies for six months over allegations of foreign exchange violations.

• India revoked the passport of arrested underworld don Chhota Rajan on November 5, 2015 as an investigation found that the document was procured through a fake identity from the Indian mission in Australia.