'We are the biggest fugitives of India': Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya captured on London party video

IPL founder Lalit Modi has shared on social media a video from a party for Vijay Mallya’s 70th birthday in London, referring to the pair as the “two biggest fugitives” of India.

“We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India,” Lalit Modi, the founding commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), can be heard saying in the video posted on his Instagram handle.

The video is the second in the past few days capturing birthday celebrations for Mallya, wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges in connection with loans to the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The caption to the Instagram post reads: “Let’s break the internet down in India again. Happy birthday my friend Vijay Mallya. Something for you media folks. Wat your heard out with envy (sic).”

Mallya, who turned 70 on December 18, can be seen smiling along with partner Pinki Lalwani.

The latest video post follows a few others showing glimpses of a pre-birthday bash at Lalit Modi's Belgrave Square home in central London.

“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,” read the previous post.

Images shared by some of the guests who were at the party included glimpses of high-profile guests such as British actor Idris Elba and Indian entrepreneurs including Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.

Both Modi and Mallya face legal challenges in India around allegations of financial impropriety, which they both have denied. Mallya is believed to be on bail in the UK as he continues to refuse extradition while a “confidential” legal matter, believed to be related to an asylum application, is resolved. 

Earlier this year, a consortium of Indian banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) won a court appeal in London to uphold a bankruptcy order against him in a long-standing legal battle seeking repayment of a judgment debt of around 1.05 billion pounds owed by Kingfisher Airlines.

In October, it emerged that Mallya had discontinued an application to annul the UK bankruptcy order, which meant the 'Trustee in Bankruptcy' could continue to pursue his assets for the banks to realise the repayment of the judgment debt. 

(With PTI inputs)