The central government on Friday reacted to a viral video from London in which Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi referred to himself and Vijay Mallya as the “two biggest fugitives” of India. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Government of India remains determined to bring back fugitives who have left the country to evade the law.
“Discussions are ongoing with several countries in this regard, and I want to assure you that we are firm and fully committed to ensuring their return,” ANI quoted Jaiswal as saying.
What did Lalit Modi say in viral video?
In the video, Lalit Modi, the founding commissioner of the IPL, is heard saying, “We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India.”
The now-deleted Instagram post was captioned, “Let’s break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend Vijay Mallya.” Lalit also added, “Something for you media folks. Wat (sic) your heard out with envy.”
This was the second video shared on his Instagram handle in the past few days that captured birthday festivities for Mallya, who is wanted by Indian authorities for fraud and money laundering related to loans to the collapsed Kingfisher Airlines.
Mallya, who marked his 70th birthday on December 18, is seen smiling alongside his partner, Pinki Lalwani.
The most recent video comes after several earlier posts that offered glimpses of a pre-birthday celebration held at Lalit Modi’s residence in Belgrave Square in central London.
A previous post said, “An amazing celebration for my dear friend Vijay Mallya at my house last night for all his friends and family who flew in from all corners of the world. Another cornerstone achieved by the King of Goodtimes – his 70th birthday. Wish him all the happiness and success.”
Photos shared by attendees at the event showed appearances by prominent figures, including British actor Idris Elba and Indian business leaders such as Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
Meanwhile, both Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya are facing legal proceedings in India over alleged financial misconduct, allegations that both have denied.
Mallya is understood to be out on bail in the UK and continues to resist extradition while a “confidential” legal issue, reportedly linked to an asylum request, is being addressed, reported PTI,
Earlier this year, a group of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) succeeded in a London court appeal that upheld a bankruptcy order against him, part of a prolonged legal effort to recover a judgment debt of about £1.05 billion owed by Kingfisher Airlines.
In October, it was reported that Mallya had withdrawn his attempt to annul the UK bankruptcy order, allowing the “Trustee in Bankruptcy” to keep pursuing his assets on behalf of the banks to recover the outstanding judgment debt.
(With inputs from agencies)
