The government on Friday emphasized its determination to secure the return of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, following widespread outrage over a viral video where the pair mockingly referred to themselves as “the biggest fugitives.” The clip, shared by IPL founder Modi, features him alongside Mallya at a birthday celebration, making the provocative statement.
Responding to questions about the video and the defiant remarks from the fugitives, the Ministry of External Affairs attributed delays in extradition to complicated legal frameworks spanning multiple countries. “We are committed to bringing back the fugitives, and we have been in touch with the countries for their return, and processes are on. As you know, many of these cases involve multiple layers of legal procedures,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.
The provocative video sparks public anger
On Monday, Lalit Modi uploaded an Instagram video from a birthday party he organized for Mallya, who celebrated his 70th birthday on December 18. The gathering reportedly took place at Modi’s Belgrave Square residence in London.
“We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India,” Modi can be heard declaring in the footage as Mallya laughs beside him. The post’s caption intensified the audacity. “Let me do something to break the internet down again,” it stated.
Mallya, designated a fugitive economic offender in January 2019, appeared in the video with his partner Pinki Lalwani, a former Kingfisher Airlines flight attendant. He has been married twice before and shares a son, Siddharth Mallya, with his first wife.
Social media users interpreted the shameless video as ridicule directed at the government, which has pursued the extradition of both individuals for years. Modi departed India in 2010, while Mallya escaped in 2016.
The footage triggered fierce criticism online. “This is not humour, it is an open mockery of the Indian state. When economic offenders joke freely from foreign soil, it exposes how weak enforcement and political will really are. The silence of the government sends a dangerous message that the powerful can loot the country, flee, and laugh,” one user wrote on X.
Previously dubbed the ‘King of Good Times’, Mallya faces fraud and money laundering accusations in India related to loans obtained for the collapsed Kingfisher Airlines. The alleged fraud totals Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya remains free on bail and has submitted an asylum application in the UK.
Meanwhile, Modi, who founded and initially chaired the Indian Premier League (IPL), stands accused of financial impropriety and violations during the tournament’s formative period. Authorities issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in 2015.