Businessman Vijay Mallya, the former Kingfisher Airlines chief facing multiple fraud charges in India, opened up in a four-hour-long conversation with podcaster Raj Shamani. The podcast, released on Thursday, saw Vijay Mallya expressing his thoughts on returning to India, among other things.
When asked whether his troubles worsened because he didn’t come back to India, Vijay Mallya responded, “If I have assurance of a fair trial and a dignified existence in India, you may be right, but I don’t.”
Shamani then asks Mallya if he would be willing to return to India if he is assured a fair trial, to which he says, “If I am assured, absolutely, I will think about it seriously.”
“But, you should also be aware that there are other people who the government of India is targeting for extradition from the UK back to India in whose case, they have got a judgment from the high court of appeal that Indian detention conditions are violative of article 3 of the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) and therefore they can’t be sent back,” he added.
On leaving India and not coming back and being called “fugitive” for that, Mallya said it was “fair”. However, he questioned why he is being called a “chor” (thief) and where is the “chori” (theft).
{{/usCountry}}On leaving India and not coming back and being called “fugitive” for that, Mallya said it was “fair”. However, he questioned why he is being called a “chor” (thief) and where is the “chori” (theft).
{{/usCountry}}“Call me a fugitive for not going to India post-March (2016). I didn’t run away, I flew out of India on a prescheduled visit. Fair enough, I did not return for reasons that I consider are valid, so if you want to call me a fugitive, go ahead, but where is the ‘chor’ coming from… where is the ‘chori’?"
The Indian government didn't immediately respond to Mallya's claims on the podcast.
Vijay Mallya’s legal troubles
On April 9 this year, Vijay Mallya lost an appeal against a London high court bankruptcy order in a case pertaining to more than ₹11,101 crore debt to lenders, including the State Bank of India (SBI).
Mallya has been living in Britain since fleeing India in 2016. He has been embroiled in a long legal battle with lenders, as well as the Indian authorities, following the 2012 collapse of his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
In February this year, Mallya approached the Karnataka high court and sought details of loan recoveries made by banks. Mallya’s legal counsel argued that while ₹6,200 crore was originally due, banks have recovered ₹14,000 crore. The counsel contended that the debt had been fully cleared, yet recovery efforts were still ongoing and requested the court to direct banks to provide a statement detailing the recovered amount.
Acting on Mallya’s petition, a high court bench led by Justice R Devadas issued notices to banks and loan recovery officers.
Mallya also remains the subject of India's extradition efforts over alleged loan defaults.