In February this year, the Bombay High Court had reprimanded Vijay Mallya, saying that he cannot seek equitable relief while deliberately avoiding court proceeding.
Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has professed his innocence in a series of social media posts on X on Wednesday, claiming he is legally prohibited from leaving the United Kingdom. Addressing allegations that he is intentionally dodging Indian justice, the former airline tycoon maintained that his continued residence in London is dictated by British legal restrictions rather than a personal refusal to return.
Rejecting the tag of a runaway offender, Mallya highlighted his long-standing stay in Britain. "For all who say I am a bhagoda refusing to come to India, please be aware that I have been a permanent resident of the United Kingdom since 1992 and am currently legally prohibited from leaving this country," he posted. Blaming state action for his current situation, he added, "All this started with poster boy actions by the Government of India who have been grossly unjust in my case".
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Claims over asset recovery and employee payouts
In posts shared on the platform, Mallya pointed to asset recovery figures to dispute his label as an economic offender. Citing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) affidavit reportedly submitted to the Bombay High Court, he argued that Indian enforcement agencies recovered funds far exceeding his original court-decreed debt. "Para 7 is the decreed debt and Para 17 shows recovered Rs 14,131.60 crore in 2021 !! 5 years on I am still referred to as a fraud who cheated the Banks," he wrote.
Posting an accounting table on X, Mallya questioned why public narrative and news scripts continue to target him. "To all who believe in fair and proper accounting justice please see the following table. Do I still deserve the way I am berated by the media and referred to as a fraudster at the very outset of a journalist’s script ? Why not start asking when I will get my refund," he asked. He further claimed that attached assets were released by authorities to settle worker salaries. "For all you naysayers, please independently verify and see that the ED released over Rs 350 crores to pay Kingfisher employees from my attached funds. I could not pay because ED attached my assets/funds," he added. In an earlier post, he similarly highlighted that financial institutions recovered Rs 14,100 crore against a judgment debt of Rs 6,203 crore.
Indian government and court stance
Mallya remains officially designated a Fugitive Economic Offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act of 2018. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary confirmed to Parliament that Mallya is among 15 individuals declared under the law. Despite Mallya's claims of unfair treatment, Indian courts have taken a stern view of his absence. The Bombay High Court reprimanded him, stating he cannot seek legal relief while deliberately avoiding proceedings. A bench led by Chief Justice Chandrashekhar gave him a final chance to clarify his return plans, warning that he was evading court jurisdiction.
The Indian government maintains that extradition proceedings remain active despite international legal hurdles. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal previously noted that complex legal layers exist across jurisdictions. "We remain fully committed that people who are fugitives and wanted by law in India, return to the country. For this particular return, 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," Jaiswal stated.
Published: 09 Sept 2026, 08:58 am IST
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