‘Legally prohibited from leaving UK’: Vijay Mallya on ‘bhagoda’ tag, alleges injustice by Indian govt

Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has rejected allegations that he is deliberately refusing to return to India, claiming that he is legally prohibited from leaving the United Kingdom. In a series of posts on X, Mallya said he has been a permanent resident of the UK since 1992 and alleged that the Indian Government has been ‘grossly unjust’ to him.

It is pertinent to mention that Mallya is among 15 individuals declared Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEOs) under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. In October 2025, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha that the list included several high-profile names, including Mallya and Nirav Modi. 

‘Legally prohibited from leaving UK’: Vijay Mallya 

“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,” Mallya said.

He alleged that his legal troubles began with what he described as ‘poster boy actions’ by the Government of India, which he claimed had been unfair to him. “All this started with poster boy actions by the Government of India who have been grossly unjust in my case,” he added.

Earlier, Mallya cited an excerpt of a reported affidavit which he claimed was filed in the Bombay HC by the Enforcement Directorate that cited recovery of Rs 14,131.60 from him. “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 said.

In February this year, the Bombay High Court reprimanded Mallya, observing that he could not seek equitable relief while deliberately avoiding court proceedings. The court gave Mallya a final opportunity to clarify whether he intended to return to India.

Mallya’s petition challenges the provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act as well as his declaration as a fugitive economic offender.

Mallya also posted a table giving what he claimed was a statement of account of recovery and alleged that he had been wrongly labelled a fugitive. “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. 

“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,” he added.

Indian govt fully committed to bring fugitives back

In December last year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said it remained fully committed to ensuring that fugitives wanted in India return to the country and face trial before the courts.  The Ministry said that several layers of legalities are involved, but the government remains committed to bringing the economic offenders back to the country.

“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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.

(With ANI inputs)

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