Last Updated:June 06, 2025, 07:52 IST
Vijay Mallya has opened up about his reasons behind not returning to India in a podcast and also issued a public apology for the failure of his Kingfisher Airlines.
Vijay Mallya apologises for Kingfisher crash (AP File Image)
Businessman Vijay Mallya, who is facing various fraud charges in India and is absconding, has denied allegations of theft while also issuing a rare public apology for the failure of Kingfisher Airlines. He also defended his “valid” reasons for not returning to India and claimed that he would consider getting back if he is assured of a fair trial and “dignified existence” in the country.
“I apologise to everyone for the failure of Kingfisher Airlines,” Mallya said during a four-hour-long podcast with Raj Shamani, which was put online on Thursday.
“If I have assurance of a fair trial and a dignified existence in India, you may be right, but I don’t,” he said, when asked if his troubles got worse because he did not return to India.
He also acknowledged that it was “fair” to call him a fugitive but questioned the term “thief” used for him in the political corridors.
“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’?” he said.
Mallya is facing charges of allegedly defaulting on loans worth over Rs 9,000 crore that were given to Kingfisher Airlines by a group of Indian banks. He has been residing in the United Kingdom since 2016, where he is facing extradition proceedings.
Despite several legal defeats, including a UK court’s 2018 decision approving his extradition, Mallya is still resisting being sent back to India. He has claimed that he would not be subjected to a fair trial in India.
More to follow…
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes…Read More
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes… Read More
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