Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 12: The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted UK-based businessman Vijay Mallya one last opportunity to return to India and submit to its jurisdiction if he wants to challenge his “fugitive economic offender” (FEO) designation. A bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar criticised Mallya for seeking relief from Indian courts while staying abroad, saying, “If you do not return, we cannot hear your petition. You are evading the court process.”

The court was hearing Mallya’s petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) and the proceedings that labeled him a fugitive. The bench noted that equitable relief cannot be sought while deliberately avoiding court proceedings and refused to entertain the plea unless Mallya indicated his intention to come back. “Nevertheless, in fairness, we are not dismissing the matter and are giving you another chance,” the judges added.

The next hearing has been scheduled for February 18, with the court directing Mallya to file an affidavit specifying when he plans to return to India.

Vijay Mallya, the former owner of Kingfisher Airlines, fled the country after allegations of financial irregularities involving loans amounting to thousands of crores. According to the Finance Ministry, he is among 15 individuals declared Fugitive Economic Offenders as of October 31, 2025, for causing losses exceeding Rs 57,000 crore to Indian banks. Specifically, the State Bank of India reported a principal loss of Rs 6,848 crore and interest losses of Rs 11,960 crore due to Mallya, although Rs 10,814 crore has been recovered so far.

The Enforcement Directorate told the court that Mallya had filed an affidavit disputing the banks’ claims and was attempting to convert the money laundering proceedings into a recovery process. The ED added that Mallya challenged the FEOA only after being declared a fugitive and while extradition proceedings in London were already underway.