MEA Breaks Silence After Viral Video Captures ‘Two Biggest Fugitives Of India’ Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya Partying Abroad; Says, ‘We Will…’

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday pressed India’s commitment to bringing back economic fugitives, after a viral social media video showed former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi and fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya attending a private party abroad and making remarks widely seen as mocking India.

Responding to questions during a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government remained “fully committed” to ensuring that fugitives facing charges in India are brought back to the country. He added that India was in discussions with several governments on the return of such individuals and stressed that efforts to repatriate them were ongoing.

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“We remain fully committed that people who are fugitives, who are wanted by law in India, return to the country,” Jaiswal said. “We are in talks with several governments, and our efforts in this regard continue.”

The MEA’s comments came after a video posted on Instagram by Lalit Modi showed him and Vijay Mallya at what appeared to be a birthday celebration abroad. In the clip, Lalit Modi sarcastically introduced himself and Mallya as “the two biggest fugitives of India,” a remark that quickly drew sharp criticism on social media.

The video was captioned by Lalit Modi with the words, “Let’s break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend #VijayMallya.” Many users accused the duo of openly ridiculing Indian authorities, with the clip being widely interpreted as a taunt amid ongoing extradition efforts.

According to reports, the video appears to be from Vijay Mallya’s 70th birthday celebration, hosted by Lalit Modi. Last week, Lalit Modi had also shared footage from the same event on social media platform X, describing it as a gathering of friends and family who had travelled from different parts of the world. This is not the first time the two have shared images or videos of themselves socialising abroad.

Vijay Mallya’s exit from India

Vijay Mallya left India on March 2, 2016, following the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines and amid mounting legal troubles. He is wanted in connection with a bank loan default case involving more than Rs 9,000 crore and was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender in January 2019 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Several of his companies, including United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd, are under investigation by agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Lalit Modi left India in 2010 after allegations of money laundering and tax evasion surfaced against him. The Enforcement Directorate later registered a money laundering case, and a special court in Mumbai issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in 2015.

Both Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya have been living in the United Kingdom since leaving India.

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