A video showing self-exiled Indian businessmen Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi has ignited fury in their home country, after the pair were filmed shamelessly boasting about being India's 'biggest fugitives'.
Lavish London Party Sparks Diplomatic Fury
The clip was taken at a 70th birthday celebration for Mallya, held at Modi's multi-million-pound mansion in London's exclusive Belgravia district. Modi posted the video on social media with the caption 'let me do something to break the internet down again', a move widely interpreted as mocking Indian authorities who have spent years trying to extradite them.
In the footage, Modi poses beside a smiling Mallya as he makes the controversial statement. The pair, both wanted in India over serious allegations of financial crimes, have long been criticised for flaunting their opulent lifestyles in the UK while avoiding justice.
Life of Luxury Amid Legal Battles
Despite facing fraud charges in India related to an alleged £1 billion in unpaid debts from his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya lives in considerable comfort. He resides in an £11.5 million Hertfordshire mansion in Tewin, a property formerly owned by Anthony Hamilton, father of F1 champion Lewis.
His UK property portfolio also includes a Grade-I listed Georgian townhouse worth over £20 million overlooking Regent's Park in central London. These assets, like many others, were purchased through family members and companies with offshore links. Mallya lost a High Court appeal against his extradition in 2020 but continues to live freely.
Lalit Modi, the co-founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), fled India in 2010 following allegations of money laundering and bid-rigging. He claims he left due to death threats. He now lives in a five-storey mansion on Belgrave Square and recently celebrated his 62nd birthday at the exclusive Mayfair members' club, Maddox.
Modi became a citizen of Vanuatu, a nation with no extradition treaty with India, though its prime minister later announced his passport would be revoked. Interpol has twice rejected India's requests for a global alert notice against him.
Failed Extradition and Ongoing Outrage
The 'biggest fugitives' comment prompted Indian authorities to reiterate their 'full commitment' to bring back individuals wanted by law. Modi later apologised on X (formerly Twitter), stating his words were 'misconstrued' and he had the 'highest respect' for the Indian government.
Mallya, once dubbed the 'Richard Branson of India', fled to London in 2016. A senior district judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court once described him as a 'glamorous, flashy, famous, bejewelled, bodyguarded, ostensibly billionaire playboy'. In 2018, Judge Emma Arbuthnot ruled there was a case for him to answer, finding evidence he misrepresented how bank loans would be used, diverting funds to 'vanity projects' like his Force India F1 team.
Both men deny all allegations against them. They continue to socialise with celebrities and sports stars; actor Idris Elba was among the guests at Mallya's controversial birthday party. Their case remains a high-profile point of tension, highlighting the challenges of international extradition and the stark contrast between their life of luxury in London and the serious charges they face abroad.
