“Am I Still a Thief?” Vijay Mallya Claims He’s Being Punished Just for Living Like a King

Fugitive liquor tycoon and former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya is back in the headlines. Living in the UK since fleeing India in 2016 and officially declared a fugitive economic offender in 2019, Mallya recently took to social media to defend himself—claiming his only real “crime” was funding his lavish lifestyle with his own money.

Sharing an excerpt from a Karnataka High Court division bench order, Mallya asked his followers to read between the lines, passionately questioning his public villain label.

“I am still a thief or a fraud?” Mallya wrote. “Living a lavish lifestyle using my own money was my biggest sin and the reason I am being punished. God looks after us all. Someday, justice will prevail.”

What Does the Court Document Show?

The shared pages stem from a 2018 ruling reviewing a 2017 judgment. The excerpt highlights a statement made by the finance minister in the Lok Sabha, detailing how assets worth a staggering 141.31 billion rupees (excluding United Breweries Ltd. shares) had already been recovered and returned to the banking consortium.

With Kingfisher Airlines’ original loan claims sitting at 62.03 billion rupees plus interest, the bench noted that banks have recovered more than double the original loan amount. Consequently, the court suggested that holding onto the UBL shares no longer has any justification, leaving it up to the banks and the Indian government to officially close the proceedings.

However, the bench didn’t hold back on calling out Mallya’s past behavior either, noting that his “lavish lifestyle, excessive personal indulgence, and vanity” heavily complicated the recovery process. Mallya’s recent “king-size life” remarks appear to be a direct retort to that exact judicial observation.

The Background of the Saga

For those needing a recap of how we got here:

• The Collapse: Founded by Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines went belly-up and halted operations in October 2012 amid crushing debts.
• The Exit: As creditors closed in, Mallya left India on March 2, 2016, and has resided in the UK ever since, while Indian authorities push hard for his extradition on charges of loan default and money laundering.
• The Allegations: In 2015, the CBI launched a probe into a 9-billion-rupee loan granted by IDBI Bank, which led the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to slap money-laundering charges against him. Investigators alleged that funds were diverted to overseas assets, an IPL cricket franchise, and a Formula 1 team—with total outstanding claims long reported to exceed 90 billion rupees.

Throughout the years, Mallya has maintained that he repeatedly offered to settle the dues with banks, arguing that the massive recovery totals should clear his slate. Meanwhile, courts continue to monitor his online footprint—including past warnings from the Bombay High Court regarding sharing court files on social media.

What do you make of Mallya’s defense? Do asset recoveries change the narrative, or does his fugitive status overshadow it all? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!