Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi offered "deepest apologies" to the Indian government for a video showing him partying with fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya in London and introducing themselves as the “biggest fugitives of India."
“I apologise if I have hurt anyone feelings especially the Indian Government who I have the highest respect and regard for. The statement was misconstrued and was never intended to be as played out. Once again my deepest apologies,” Lalit Modi posted on X on Monday.
The apology followed a renewed controversy involving Lalit Modi and fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, after the two appeared together in a video that circulated on social media, which drew widespread criticism.
Video sparks backlash online
Last week, Lalit Modi shared a video on Instagram in which he and Mallya appeared together at what seemed to be a birthday celebration for the former chief of Kingfisher Airlines. In the clip, Modi introduces the pair as “the two biggest fugitives of India”, a remark that quickly triggered outrage online.
The post was accompanied by a provocative caption: “Let’s break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend #VijayMallya. Love u.” Many users accused the two of openly mocking India’s legal system and public sentiment.
In the video, Lalit Modi repeats, “We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India,” while Mallya, who turned 70 on 18 December, smiles alongside his partner, Pinki Lalwani.
A series of celebratory posts
The clip marked the second such post in recent days featuring celebrations for Mallya, who is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering linked to loans taken by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
Earlier posts shared by Modi offered glimpses of a pre-birthday gathering at his residence on Belgrave Square in central London.
One caption read: “An amazing celebration for my dear friend Vijay Mallya at my house last night for all his friends and family who flew in from all corners of the world. Another cornerstone achieved by the King of Goodtimes – his 70th birthday. Wish him all the happiness and success.”
Images posted by guests from the event showed several high-profile attendees, including British actor Idris Elba and Indian entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
Legal troubles continue
Both Modi and Mallya face ongoing legal challenges in India over alleged financial impropriety, accusations they have consistently denied.
Mallya is currently believed to be on bail in the UK and continues to resist extradition to India while a “confidential” legal matter—widely reported to be linked to an asylum application—remains unresolved.
Earlier this year, a consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India secured a ruling from a London court upholding a bankruptcy order against Mallya. The order relates to a long-running effort to recover a judgment debt of around £1.05 billion owed by Kingfisher Airlines.
In October, it also emerged that Mallya had withdrawn an application to annul the UK bankruptcy order, allowing the trustee in bankruptcy to continue pursuing his assets on behalf of the banks.
