The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated India’s commitment to bringing back fugitives wanted by Indian law, following a controversial social media post by IPL founder Lalit Modi featuring businessman Vijay Mallya.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that India remains “fully committed” to ensuring that people wanted by the law return to face trial. “We are in talks with several governments and processes are on... There are several layers of legalities involved but we remain committed to bring them back to the country so they can face trial before the courts here,” he said.

What sparked the controversy?

The stir was triggered by an Instagram video where Lalit Modi was celebrating Vijay Mallya’s 70th birthday in London. In the video, Modi jokingly refers to himself and Mallya as the “two biggest fugitives of India.”

 

In the clip, Mallya, who is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering related to loans for the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, is seen smiling alongside his partner Pinki Lalwani. The video follows several posts showing pre-birthday celebrations at Modi’s residence in Belgrave Square, central London.

Legal and diplomatic context

Both Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya are currently wanted in India over high-profile financial and regulatory cases. Liquor baron Mallya faces accusations of defaulting on loans exceeding ₹9,000 crore related to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, while former IPL chairman Modi is alleged to have committed financial irregularities during his tenure. Both have been living in the UK for several years, and efforts to bring them back to India to face trial have been ongoing.