India responds to viral video calling Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya ‘biggest fugitives’

The government on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to bringing back Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, days after a video featuring the two fugitives went viral, triggering widespread outrage over what was seen as a brazen mockery of Indian authorities.

Responding to questions on the video, the Ministry of External Affairs said delays in extraditing the duo were due to complex legal processes spanning multiple jurisdictions. “We are committed to bringing back the fugitives. We have been in touch with the countries concerned, and the processes are ongoing. As you know, many of these cases involve multiple layers of legal procedures,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Viral video sparks outrage

The controversy erupted after IPL founder Lalit Modi on Monday posted a video on Instagram from a birthday party he hosted for Vijay Mallya, who turned 70 on December 18. The gathering was reportedly held at Modi’s residence in London’s Belgrave Square.

In the video, Modi is heard saying, “We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India,” as Mallya laughs alongside him. The caption accompanying the post further fuelled anger online, reading: “Let me do something to break the internet down again.”

Mallya, who was declared a fugitive economic offender in January 2019, was seen at the party with his partner Pinky Lalwani, a former Kingfisher Airlines air hostess. He has been married twice previously and has a son, Siddharth Mallya, from his first marriage.

The video was widely perceived as a taunt aimed at the Indian government, which has been pursuing the extradition of both men for several years. Lalit Modi left India in 2010, while Mallya fled the country in 2016.

Social media users reacted sharply, with many calling the video an “open mockery” of the Indian state. “This is not humour, it is a public taunt. When economic offenders joke freely from foreign soil, it exposes the failure of enforcement and political will,” one user wrote on X.

Once known as the ‘King of Good Times’, Mallya is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering linked to loans amounting to over Rs 9,000 crore taken by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. He is currently out on bail in the UK and has applied for asylum.

Lalit Modi, the founder and first chairman of the Indian Premier League, is accused of financial misconduct and irregularities during the tournament’s early years. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him in 2015.