Vijay Mallya has been making headlines again over the past week, first for celebrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) maiden IPL title on social media, and now for his appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast.
For the first time in a long while, Mallya opened up about a big question everyone wants to know: Will he ever return to India? His answers have since gone viral.
“I may return if I get a fair trial,” says Mallya
In this rare chat with Raj Shamani, Vijay Mallya, the former head of Kingfisher Airlines, spoke candidly about why he has stayed away from India since 2016. According to him, the biggest reason is that he doesn’t believe he’ll be treated fairly if he returns.
“If I have assurance of a fair trial and a dignified existence in India, you may be right, but I don’t,” Mallya said.
When asked if he would consider coming back if promised a fair trial, Mallya replied clearly:
“If I am assured, absolutely, I will think about it seriously.”
Mallya also pointed to a larger issue, the poor state of Indian detention centers. He highlighted that UK courts have ruled in other extradition cases that prisoners should not be sent back to India because Indian detention conditions violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects against inhumane treatment.
“There are other people… in whose case they have got a judgment… that Indian detention conditions are violative of article 3 of the ECHR and therefore they can’t be sent back,” Mallya stated.
He used this argument to explain why his fears about returning are not baseless or unique.
Mallya says he accepts being called a fugitive, but denies being a thief
Mallya also addressed the “fugitive” tag attached to his name. He admitted that technically he is a fugitive because he chose not to return to India after leaving on a planned business trip in 2016. However, he firmly rejected being called a thief.
“If you want to call me a fugitive, go ahead, but where is the ‘chor’ coming from… where is the ‘chori’?” he asked during the conversation.
The background of Mallya’s case
In case you’ve forgotten, Mallya has been living in the UK since 2016 after defaulting on loans of over INR 11,000 crore, mainly linked to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. India has made repeated attempts to extradite him, but he has fought back through UK courts, often citing human rights and fairness concerns.
Recent legal updates
In April 2025, Mallya suffered a fresh blow after losing an appeal against a London High Court bankruptcy order related to the massive debt he owes to Indian banks.
Interestingly, earlier this year, Mallya also approached the Karnataka High Court with a new claim: his lawyers argued that Indian banks had already recovered ₹14,000 crore — more than double the ₹6,200 crore initially due. They requested the court to ask the banks for a full statement on how much money has actually been recovered.
Following this, Justice R Devadas’s bench issued notices to the banks, including State Bank of India, seeking clarification.
As things stand, the Indian government has not responded to Mallya’s remarks on the podcast. But this candid interview surely adds a new twist to the long-running Mallya saga.
Whether he will truly return to India someday remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: Vijay Mallya has made his stance public like never before.