In the past week, Vijay Mallya has been making headlines again, first for his tweets celebrating Royal Challengers Bangalore’s maiden IPL victory. And now, due to his appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast, where he addressed questions about whether he would ever return to India. Mallya spoke candidly and his words are going viral.
Vijay Mallya says he may return to India if fair trial is assured
In a rare and open conversation with podcaster Raj Shamani, Vijay Mallya, the former Kingfisher Airlines chief, talked about why he has stayed away from India for so long. He explained that the main reason he hasn’t come back is because he does not believe he would get a fair trial or be treated with respect in India. Mallya said that if he had the assurance of fairness and dignity, he might have returned earlier but he don’t.
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“If I have assurance of a fair trial and a dignified existence in India, you may be right, but I don’t.”
When Shamani asked if he would consider returning to India if he was promised a fair trial, Mallya said yes. He clearly stated that if such assurance is given, he would seriously think about coming back.
“If I am assured, absolutely, I will think about it seriously.”
Indian detention conditions are violative of article 3 of the ECHR, says Mallya
Vijay Mallya also talked about bigger issues beyond his own case. He mentioned that the UK courts have ruled in other extradition cases that some people wanted by the Indian government cannot be sent back. This is because the courts found that the conditions in Indian detention centers violate human rights rules under the European Convention on Human Rights.
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“But, you should also be aware that there are other people who the government of India is targeting for extradition from the UK back to India in whose case, they have got a judgment from the high court of appeal that Indian detention conditions are violative of article 3 of the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) and therefore they can’t be sent back.”
By bringing this up, Mallya suggested that his concerns about returning to India are not unique.
Mallya accepts Fugitive tag but questions theft allegations, “Where is the ‘chori’?”
Mallya’s legal troubles are well-documented. Once known as a renowned businessman, he has been living in the United Kingdom since March 2016 after defaulting on loans worth over Rs 11,000 crore, primarily associated with his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Despite India’s repeated attempts to extradite him, Mallya has so far managed to resist legal proceedings, often citing human rights concerns and a lack of judicial fairness.
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In the podcast, Vijay Mallya openly accepted being called a fugitive for not returning to India after March 2016. He explained that he did not “run away” but left the country on a planned business trip and chose not to come back for reasons he believes are valid. Mallya seemed willing to accept the label of a fugitive since he stayed away from India despite legal troubles.
However, he strongly challenged the more serious accusations against him. Mallya questioned why people call him a “chor” (thief).
“If you want to call me a fugitive, go ahead, but where is the ‘chor’ coming from… where is the ‘chori’?”
Recent legal developments in Vijay Mallya’s case
In April 2025, Vijay Mallya lost an appeal against a London High Court bankruptcy order related to the huge debt he owes to Indian banks. Despite this setback, Mallya took a new step by approaching the Karnataka High Court earlier this year. His lawyers claimed that the banks have already recovered Rs 14,000 crore which is more than double the Rs 6,200 crore that was originally due, and asked the court to demand a detailed statement of how much money has been recovered so far.
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Following this petition, a court bench led by Justice R Devadas issued notices to the banks and loan recovery officers, including the State Bank of India, asking them to provide clarity.
Check out the podcast,
For those who are interested, I have spoken for the first time in nine years on this podcast.I want to say sorry to employees of Kingfisher Airlines and also to set the record straight with facts and the truth. https://t.co/aiAsnI68ie
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 5, 2025
The Indian government has not yet responded officially to the statements Mallya made during his recent podcast. To say that this recent podcast featuring Vijay Mallya adds a new layer to the saga of the Indian government and Mallya case would be a sheer understatement.
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What are your thoughts on the words of Vijay Mallya in this podcast? Do share your views via the comments below.