Businessman Vijay Mallya has pushed back against the long-standing description of him as a fugitive, claiming that legal restrictions in the United Kingdom currently prevent him from travelling to India.
In a series of posts on X, Mallya defended his decision to remain in Britain and alleged that the Indian government had treated him unfairly in connection with the financial cases against him.
“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. All this started with poster boy actions by the Government of India who have been grossly unjust in my case,” Mallya said.
His comments come amid renewed attention on India’s efforts to bring back economic offenders facing legal proceedings in the country.
Mallya Challenges ‘Fugitive’ Narrative
Mallya also questioned how the recovery of funds linked to his case has been portrayed.
In another post, he referred to what he described as an affidavit filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before the Bombay High Court. According to Mallya, the document showed that substantial sums had already been recovered.
“Affidavit filed by the ED in the Hon’ble Bombay High Court. 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.
Mallya subsequently shared a statement of account and questioned why he continues to face criticism despite his claims regarding the recovery of money.
“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 said.
He further claimed that funds attached by the ED were used to make payments to former Kingfisher Airlines employees.
“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,” Mallya added.
Government Says It Wants Fugitives Back in India
Mallya’s claims come against the backdrop of the government’s stated position that economic offenders wanted in India should return and face proceedings before Indian courts.
In December 2025, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government remained committed to securing the return of fugitives, while acknowledging that extradition cases involve multiple legal processes.
“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 said.
Mallya was among the individuals identified as a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO) under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. In October 2025, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that 15 people had been declared FEOs under the legislation.
Bombay High Court Had Earlier Questioned Mallya’s Conduct
The latest statements also come months after the Bombay High Court criticised Mallya during proceedings concerning his legal challenge to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
In February 2026, the court observed that Mallya could not seek equitable relief while allegedly avoiding the jurisdiction of the court.
The court gave him an opportunity to clarify whether he intended to return to India. His petition challenges the constitutional validity of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act as well as the proceedings through which he was declared a fugitive economic offender.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Chandrashekhar indicated that it was inclined to record that Mallya was evading the court’s jurisdiction, a position that could affect his request for relief.
Mallya Continues to Dispute Amounts Recovered
The businessman has repeatedly argued that banks and government agencies have already recovered significant amounts connected with the financial dispute.
In an earlier post in August, Mallya claimed: “…Banks and Government have admitted having recovered Rs 14,100 crores from me against a Judgement debt of Rs 6203 crores. Many more borrowers have settled at a fraction. Indian Debt Resolution Justice I presume. No media questions.”
His latest posts therefore seek to shift the focus from his continued presence in the UK to what he describes as the amount recovered from his assets and the legal restrictions he says prevent him from leaving Britain.
However, his assertions remain part of his own public defence and come amid ongoing legal proceedings and the government’s stated efforts to have fugitives wanted in India face the judicial process in the country.
