Court Draws Line, Tells Vijay Mallya to Come Back to India

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India remains fully committed to bringing back economic fugitives like Vijay Mallya to face trial in the country. The government stated that it is actively working through legal channels to ensure that people wanted in India return and appear before Indian courts. Officials added that the extradition process involves multiple legal steps, but efforts are ongoing to bring offenders back.

The Bombay High Court ordered Vijay Mallya to return to India to pursue his petition. The court said Mallya cannot seek legal relief while deliberately avoiding court proceedings. A bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar said he is evading the court’s jurisdiction and therefore cannot expect equitable relief.

Mallya had challenged certain provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act in his petition. The court observed that he has been avoiding Indian jurisdiction and thus cannot demand favorable treatment. However, the bench decided not to dismiss the petition immediately and gave him a final opportunity to clarify his position.

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Mallya must clarify comeback plan before hearing

The High Court asked Mallya to file an affidavit clearly stating whether he intends to return to India. Chief Justice Chandrashekhar asked when he plans to come back and said the court needs a clear statement before proceeding. The matter will be heard next on February 18.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government is pursuing the return of economic offenders like Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi. He said India is determined to bring fugitives back to face trial in Indian courts. Both Mallya and Modi have denied allegations of financial irregularities, but Indian authorities continue to pursue their cases.

Under the 2018 law, authorities have declared 15 individuals as fugitive economic offenders, many linked to large-scale bank fraud cases. Public-sector banks recorded ₹26,645 crore in principal losses and ₹31,437 crore in interest, while recoveries stand at ₹19,187 crore. Vijay Mallya has been living in the United Kingdom since 2016, and India continues efforts to bring him back to face trial.

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