Force India boss Vijay Mallya has run into more trouble in Hyderabad where the 13th Metropolitan Sessions Court has issued an arrest warrant against him in a case filed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd which manages the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
The case dates back several months when cheques issued by Kingfisher bounced. The court issued the warrant after Mallya failed to appear despite a summons.
Wonder if he is planning on attending the Indian GP ? Might be time to sell that super yacht, Vijay.
or sail it out into international waters and stay there!
Maybe he can move next door, Force Pakistan has a nice ring to it.
So a pressing engagement outside India is scheduled for VJ in two weeks time, sadly preventing his attendance at the Indian GP?
Wilson
Ouch…& out goes another Jordan successor…Pity they were going good!!!
Oh dear, first the Gibrobwski affair that no one knows how it will end, now Mallya’s troubles deepened, F1 is sliding to a police matter. Now the point is what is if this will have any implication on the F1 team as we are heading to Buddh, will indian authorities arrest Mallya’s assets, Force India included, despite is not the only owner.
Despite the good job he`s done with the formula team, I thinks its time he checked out. With the team in a good position im sure it would get snapped up.
The house of cards Mr. Mallya has constructed begins to tumble. Hopefully he’ll be able to shed the F1 team cleanly before it all collapses.
Bigger question is WHO would buy it and have the sponsorship-money to keep it viable?
I suspect current ownership will destroy it in an ongoing skirmish to retain it.
Joe, how much do we know about the structure of Force India with respect to Mallya or Sahara’s other obligations? When the balls can no longer be juggled, is there a chance that Force India could wind up with a debtor in possession who might continue to operate the team, or is it more likely just to fold?
Oh dear.
Christmas has come early for you Joe
You do not understand the concept of being a reporter. I do not care whether he gets arrested or dances naked down the High Street in Bognor Regis. It is a news story. It would be a news story if any F1 team owner was arrested. So kindly keep your ill-informed and rude comments to yourself.
I don’t understand this desire to knock your reports about Force India. I’ve just read the same story on the BBC’s motorsport page. Yours is more succinct but the two postings are equally valid – as you say. Is this ‘Oh Moron’ poster the same one who frequently criticises your FI posts…? Sometimes (only sometimes) I find you too patient… but the idea of a naked VM in Bognor might be fun…
Incidentally your recent article about ‘to pay or not to pay (driver-wise) was well worth the ‘hour or two’ you spent on it – thanks.
No difference to you maybe. But the citizens of Bognor Regis would probably prefer that he gets arrested.
I’m sure it made you chuckle though.
Ho ho ho
You can add him to your list of whacky racers. If he loses his empire, maybe he can get Louis Chiron’s old job at the Hotel de Paris…
One assumes that this warrant extends to the whole of India? So perhaps it may become a little embarressing when Mallya lands his private jet for the India race, that he gets arrested?
Also perhaps this could be viewed as fitting…….:)
If it’s a localised warrant it would suggest that it’s confined to Andhra Pradesh state and not India as a whole. The GP is in Uttar Pradesh.
Apparently he’s hiding in a penthouse in London
Therefore, if an arrest warrant is issue for him, one guess that he is in Korea with the team. As this is just a “province” within India, does it carry much weight in other parts of India and the world at large?
I would be very concerned if I worked for Force India. Do you know if people within the team have been paid, and what news if any on possible purchasers of the team?
It has been a while since a team principle or main sponsor to a F1 team has been arrested. I can think of the case when David Thieme of Essex Overseas Petroleum , main sponsor of Lotus was held in Switzerland. In my youth, I stepped out with one of the ladies that worked in his office. Colourful person.
He is not here, as far as I know.
Bloomberg has an Video on our friend. Seems he has put up everything, including the F1 team – and they ask what is left.
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/he-started-with-a-billion-what-s-left-now-UCcPvOlxRt2qrhOVcwsSIw.html
It’s going to be tricky as India is the next destination…
Looks liek it’s been coming for a while, the first of many?
Its a bit funny how things turn around. A year ago force India let go a Sutil because he was facing charges in Germany. Now the owner has an arrest warrant against him. I am sure Mallya will find a way around all his present financial difficulties and continue his grand lifestyle. But the poor people who worked for him and were not paid for several months will continue to suffer.
As JS alludes VJ is a minority shareholder and does not have overall control. I expect the team has been prepared for this for some time already
The tap dancing lawyers will fix this one as it sounds like a technicality. Nothing a little bit of money can’t fix. At this point the observation might be him having to endure the public humiliation these captain of industry types usually avoid due to the status they enjoy. Once he sours in the eyes of the business community and losses public support he may run out of the favours & privileges exchanged in those circles and be left to fend for himself, not a good sign for the good doctor when a country allows the arrest of one of its business icons.
Is there a doctor in the house?…….not right now.
Given the amount of stress Vijay Mallya must be suffering It’s remarkable he can get out of bed, let alone function.
Still, that and the Ecclestone-Gribkowsky affair keeps the likes of us entertained, especially between races and in the off season.
You can’t say F1 and its world is boring!
Force India seems to have money problems approaching from all directions, well two at least. It must be fair to say that VJ’s assets are going to be seized, but how far that can be carried is all down to legal ownership thingies. Mr Sahara is also not in a position to help much more, with him having to return shareholders/investors money plus interest at a very handsome percentage, from a micro/wonga type scheme now deemed less than fully legal.
It seems that Sahara was originally investing in VJ’s own personal version of Quantitative Easing.
You can’t accuse him of not trying. I’m sure his heart is in the right place for the team, but the sponsorship required and writing cheques is just too much.
Joe,
Speed TV\Fox Sports just announced they will not be carrying F1 next season in the US Market, do you know who is (not in the announcement). I asssume ESPN/ABC Sports? Not a good start to the Austin GP as I am sure Speed will cut back coverage if they wont benifit next year!
NBC
NBC or NBC Sports Network (as I read elsewhere)? A bit of both would be good, though how many get NBCSN is perhaps an issue.
My fear with NBC is live coverage goes away!
If you live on the West Coast, you see very little live coverage as it is, unless you are awake at 4:00 am.
Bringing F1 into disrepute. He should go immediately!
A case of you reap what you sow!
Vijay’s handling of things are certainly a question mark whereas F1 team is concerned let alone Kingfisher Airlines. One can only hope the team Force India will go into better hands if things do not improve at Team Mallya.
It’s not ‘team Mallya’ It’s SAHARA Force India. Note the emphasis is on SAHARA
JS has long since confirmed he isn’t in control of the team anymore as his title is team principle. His ‘brother’ is Chairman and has overall responsibility
Why do people with agenda’s so easily avoid facts ?
The instant Mallya lands in India (for the race or any other reason), he CAN be arrested anywhere, even though the non-bailable warrant has been issued in the Hyderabad High Court. The only way he can stay out of jail is if he files for an anticipatory bail or if he appears before the court & makes a request for a bail.
Politicians in India, under investigation for offences, often use the anticipatory bail tactic & I find it hard to believe that Mallya, with all his political clout, wouldn’t be granted one. After all, he was once an MP in the Upper House in India’s parliament.
I find it interesting that the BBC still haven’t reported this on their F1 site.
Must be the Newsnight team who didn’t report on J.Savile last year.
They have though
I stand corrected, their story went up before 1pm on the 12th of October. But it’s hidden away in their Indian news section rather than getting a mention among F1 stories.
There’s no way in hell he’s going to Jail anymore than you can see Bernie in the slammer. One way or another, he’ll wiggle out of it.
It was telling, I thought, that on a recent BBC F1 Forum (was it Singapore, or Monza?), Mallya was tapped on the shoulder by Eddie Jordan and turned to camera with a look of nothing less than fear. Perhaps he’s been fearful for a while of a tap on the shoulder from those who seek to bring him to book?Mallya’s physical condition, bloated and grossly overweight, is nothing like the figure he cut last year – booze and comfort eating an indicator of his state of mind?