The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said India is committed to bringing back economic fugitives days after a video of Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya went viral on social media.
During a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said repatriation efforts are ongoing and India is engaged in discussions with several governments on bring back fugitives facing charges in India.
"We remain fully committed to bringing back people who are fugitives. We are in talks with several governments, and our efforts in this regard continue," Jaiswal said.
The response comes days after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi and businessman Vijay Mallya appeared together in a social media clip. In the viral video, Modi introduced the two of them as "biggest fugitives of India".
The caption of the video said, "Let’s break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend #VijayMallya. Love u."
On December 18, Modi hosted a birthday party for Mallya on his 70th birthday. "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," he wrote in a video caption.
Modi fled India in 2010 amid money laundering and tax evasion allegations. He was slapped with a non-bailable arrest warrant in 2015.
Mallya left India in 2016 following the collapse of his Kingfisher Airlines. He was declared a fugitive economic offender in 2019 under PMLA Act after being accused in a bank default case of more than Rs 9,000 crore.