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India Vows to Bring Back Fugitives Like Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya After Viral Video

The Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated the government's unwavering commitment to ensuring fugitives wanted in India return to face trial. This statement came in response to a viral video showing economic offenders Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya together at a birthday celebration in London. Under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 15 individuals have been declared FEOs, causing massive financial losses to banks. While significant recoveries have been made, the government continues legal processes with several nations to secure the return of these high-profile fugitives.

Key Points: India Committed to Extraditing Fugitives: MEA on Mallya, Lalit Modi

  • MEA reaffirms extradition commitment
  • Viral video of Modi & Mallya in London
  • 15 declared Fugitive Economic Offenders
  • Over Rs 19,000 crore recovered
3 min read

"We remain fully committed to bringing back people who are fugitives": MEA on Lalit Modi-Vijay Mallya's viral video

MEA reaffirms commitment to extradite fugitive economic offenders like Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, following their viral birthday video. Details on FEO Act and recoveries.

"We remain fully committed that people who are fugitives and wanted by law in India, return to the country. - MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal"

New Delhi, December 26

The government remains fully committed that fugitives wanted in India return to the country and face trial before the courts, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 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," Jaiswal said.

The spokesperson responded to a query about a viral video pertaining to economic fugitives Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya.

Lalit Modi posted photos and a video on social media, which showed him along with Vijay Mallya at Malla's birthday celebrations.

"Lalit Modi's 'Glorious Evening' For Vijay Mallya's 70th Birthday In London," Lalit Modi said in a post on X.

Lalit Modi also posted a clip on Instagram in which he referred to himself and Mallya as "the two biggest fugitives of India". The clip went viral and triggered sharp reactions on social media.

"Let's break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend #VijayMallya," the post said.

Both Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya face cases related to financial irregularities in India and have denied the charges against them.

The government informed Lok Sabha that a total of 15 individuals have been declared Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEOs) under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) as of October 31, 2025.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said that of the 15 offenders, nine are involved in large-scale financial fraud committed against public sector banks.

The list includes several high-profile names, such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, among others, he said.

The minister said the 15 FEOs collectively caused a principal financial loss of Rs 26,645 crore to banks up to October 31, 2025. In addition, interest accrued on these loans from the date of becoming NPAs up to October 31, 2025, amounts to another Rs 31,437 crore.

He said Rs 19,187 crore has been recovered from these offenders till October 31, 2025.

Mallya, earlier this month, questioned the Central government and public sector banks over what he described as inconsistent statements on the amounts recovered from him, and demanded the appointment of a retired judge to investigate the matter.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The audacity of that video! Calling themselves "the two biggest fugitives" like it's a badge of honour. It's an insult to every honest citizen. Our legal process is slow, but I hope justice prevails. 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
While I fully support bringing them to justice, we also need to ask how they got such huge loans in the first place. The system failed. Recovery of 19k crore is something, but the total loss is staggering. Prevention is key.
S
Sarah B
As someone following this from abroad, it's a complex extradition issue. The UK courts have their own procedures. The MEA's commitment is important, but international law moves slowly. The viral video is just trolling at this point.
K
Karthik V
Rs 26,645 crore principal + 31,437 crore interest! This money could have built so many schools, hospitals, and roads. Their birthday bash in London is a slap on the face of the nation. Enough talk, we need concrete results now.
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Meera T
I appreciate the government's efforts and the recovery made so far. It's not easy dealing with foreign governments. But yes, the public anger is justified. These fugitives mocking the system online adds salt to the wound. Hope they face Indian courts soon.

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