Vijay Mallya has rejected the description of him as a “bhagoda”, saying he is legally barred from leaving the United Kingdom and accusing the Indian government of treating him “grossly unjustly”.
In a post on X, Mallya said he has been a permanent resident of the UK since 1992 and argued that his continued stay there is not simply a matter of choice.
“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. All this started with poster boy actions by the Government of India who have been grossly unjust in my case,” Mallya said.
Mallya cites UK court restrictions
Mallya's remarks come amid his continuing legal battles in India and the UK over his return, proceedings under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act and recovery of dues.
He had made a similar submission before the Bombay High Court in February 2026, saying he could not give a timeline for his return because English courts had restricted him from leaving England and Wales or applying for or holding an international travel document.
The Bombay High Court, however, told Mallya that he would have to return to India if he wanted to pursue his challenge to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018. The court said he could not simultaneously avoid the jurisdiction of Indian courts and seek relief from them.
Claim over Rs 14,131 crore recovery
Mallya has also questioned how the recovery of money from him is being portrayed.
Citing an affidavit purportedly filed by the Enforcement Directorate before the Bombay High Court, he claimed that Rs 14,131.60 crore was recovered from him in 2021.
“Affidavit filed by the ED in the Hon’ble Bombay High Court. Para 7 is the decreed debt and Para 17 shows recovered ₹14,131.60 crore in 2021 !! 5 years on I am still referred to as a fraud who cheated the Banks,” he said.
“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.
He also claimed that the ED had released more than Rs 350 crore from his attached funds to pay Kingfisher employees.
Long-running extradition case
Mallya left India in March 2016 amid legal proceedings linked to loans taken by his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The CBI had registered cases concerning loans extended by a consortium of banks.
Proceedings under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act followed after the law came into force in 2018.
The UK Home Secretary approved his extradition to India in February 2019. Mallya challenged the decision, but the UK High Court rejected his plea in February 2020 and later refused permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court.
The extradition process has since remained subject to further legal proceedings.
The Centre has maintained that fugitives wanted in India must return and face the judicial process. In December last year, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government remained committed to bringing economic offenders back, while noting that multiple legal processes were involved.
“We remain fully committed that people who are fugitives and wanted by law in India, return to the country,” Jaiswal had said.