India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Once
called
the
‘King
of
Good
Times’
due
to
his
extravagant
lifestyle,
liquor
baron
Vijay
Mallya,
who
has
been
living
in
the
UK
since
fleeing
India
in
2016
amid
accusations
of
a
₹9,000
crore
bank
loan
default,
recently
revealed
his
willingness
to
return
to
India-provided
he
is
guaranteed
a
fair
trial.
In
an
exclusive
podcast
interview
with
Raj
Shamani,
Mallya
addressed
questions
about
his
possible
return
and
the
ongoing
legal
proceedings
against
him.
When
asked
if
he
would
come
back
if
assured
a
fair
trial,
Mallya
responded,
“If
I
am
assured,
absolutely
I
will.
I
will
think
about
it
seriously.”
Despite
his
openness,
he
also
pointed
out
the
complexities
of
the
Indian
legal
system
and
highlighted
similar
cases
of
extradition
where
courts
have
ruled
against
India
due
to
concerns
over
detention
conditions.
Mallya
referenced
the
European
Convention
on
Human
Rights
(ECHR),
stating,
“There
are
other
people
the
government
of
India
is
targeting
for
extradition
from
the
UK,
where
the
High
Court
of
Appeal
has
found
Indian
detention
conditions
violative
of
the
ECHR.” He
emphasized
that
prolonged
detention
without
trial
is
“not
justice,”
adding,
“They
just
lock
you
up
and
throw
away
the
key.”
Legal
Challenges
and
Fair
Trial
Concerns
Mallya
criticized
the
Central
Bureau
of
Investigation
(CBI)
and
Enforcement
Directorate
(ED),
remarking
that
their
track
record
does
not
inspire
confidence.
“In
India,
sadly,
a
business
failure
is
often
equated
to
fraud,”
he
said,
expressing
his
concerns
about
the
fairness
of
the
judicial
process
in
his
case.
Asked
what
guarantees
he
would
require
for
a
fair
trial,
Mallya
replied
that
it
was
a
matter
for
lawyers
to
discuss
but
reiterated
his
skepticism
based
on
past
experiences.
“Call
Me
Fugitive,
But
I
Didn’t
Run
Away”
On
being
labeled
a
fugitive,
Mallya
said,
“You
may
call
me
a
fugitive
for
not
returning
to
India
after
March,
but
I
didn’t
run
away.
I
flew
on
a
prescheduled
visit.
Fair
enough,
I
didn’t
return
for
reasons
I
consider
valid.” He
challenged
the
accusations
of
theft,
questioning,
“Where
is
the
‘chor’
(thief)
coming
from?
Where
is
the
‘chori’
(theft)?”
Background:
Mallya’s
Legal
Battle
Mallya
has
been
embroiled
in
a
protracted
legal
battle
after
the
collapse
of
his
Kingfisher
Airlines
in
2012,
which
left
lenders
unpaid
to
the
tune
of
thousands
of
crores.
The
Indian
government
has
been
pursuing
his
extradition
from
the
UK
for
years,
accusing
him
of
financial
misconduct
and
defaulting
on
loans
worth
over
₹9,000
crore.
Living
in
Britain,
Mallya
insists
that
his
stay
is
“fully
legitimate” and
continues
to
challenge
the
allegations
in
courts
abroad
and
in
India.
