Patiala House Court on Saturday lifted an exemption granted to Vijay Mallya on his appearing in a case of a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act violation. The court was hearing a plea by the Enforcement Directorate, which said the former liquor baron had violated FERA norms while arranging funds to advertise his company’s liquor products outside of India. The agency said Mallya had not sought approval from the Reserve Bank of India in the issue.

Mallya was declared a proclaimed offender in money laundering case, and left India in March after stepping down as head of United Spirits. He owes around Rs 9,000 crore to 17 banks in India, and has expressed his intention not to return to the country. His passport was cancelled by the Centre in April.

On Friday, Mallya made his first public appearance since he left India, and said he would not return to India unless he was “assured of a fair trial, if at all there needs to be a trial”. The Indian government has been unable to have him deported as he has a permanent residency permit permit in the United Kingdom. Authorities are now looking into having him extradited.