Fugitive businessman and former MP Vijay Mallya, in a recent podcast with entrepreneur Raj Shamani, defended his departure from India and issued a public apology for the failure of Kingfisher Airlines.
Allegations of fleeing the country were refuted by Mallya. He claimed that before leaving India, he had informed the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about his travel to Geneva and his intention to return. However, according to Mallya, his passport was later revoked, preventing his return.
“You may call me a fugitive, but I didn’t run away. I flew on a prescheduled visit. Fair enough, I didn’t return for reasons that I consider are valid… so if you want to call me a fugitive, go ahead. But where is the ‘chor’ (thief) coming from? Where is the ‘chori’ (theft)?” Mallya said during the interview.
For the first time, Mallya publicly apologised for the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines and blamed former President and then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for advising operational cuts.
“I apologise to everyone for the failure of Kingfisher Airlines,” he said, alleging that Mukherjee had suggested reducing flights and cutting staff. “I was stopped from continuing my work. I was told the bank would help, but the company had to cancel all flights. When I applied for a loan, Kingfisher wasn’t performing well, so the loan was denied,” he added.
Mallya left India in 2016 amid investigations into financial irregularities related to Kingfisher Airlines. On January 5, 2019, he was officially declared a fugitive economic offender under Indian law. He currently faces charges of fraud and money laundering, with the Indian government continuing efforts to secure his extradition from the United Kingdom.
In the four-hour long podcast Mallya also said he would be prepared to return to India. “If I have the assurance of a fair trial and assurance of dignified existence in India, I will think about returning to India seriously. “