The extradition trial of Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on charges of R9,000 crore fraud and money laundering, on Monday began at a UK court here, with the embattled liquor baron rejecting the charges as "false, fabricated and baseless". The trial, however, was briefly halted as the courtroom had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm. Mallya and others waited outside the Westminster Magistrates' Court during the fire drill.

Vijay Mallya outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London before the start of his extradition case on Monday. Pic/PTI/AP