- Lalit Modi apologised to the Indian government days after a viral video statement
- Modi called himself and Vijay Mallya India's two biggest fugitives in the video
- The video showed Modi at Mallya's lavish London birthday party and was deleted later
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi on Monday apologised to the Indian government days after he referred to himself and Vijay Mallya as the two "biggest fugitives" in a viral video - which seemed to be an apparent swipe at India.
Modi, however, did not specify what he was apologising for in his post on X.
"I apologise if I have hurt anyone feelings especially the Indian Government who I have the highest respect and regard for. The statement was misconstrued and was never intended to be as played out. Once again my deepest apologies," he wrote.
A video of Modi attending Mallya's lavish birthday party in London went viral last week, in which he was heard saying: "We are the two fugitives, the biggest fugitives of India". He had posted the clip on his social media platform, Instagram, captioning it as: "Let me do something to break the internet down again. Something for you folks. Wat your heart out with envy (sic)."
The post garnered sharp reactions with users saying they have made a "mockery of the Indian government".
Modi has now deleted the video.
Responding tangentially to the taunt by Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs had asserted that anyone wanted by the law will be brought back to the country so that they can "face trial".
"We remain fully committed that people who are fugitives, who are wanted by law in India, they return to the country. For this particular return, we are in talks with several governments and processes are on. In several of these cases, there are several layers of legalities involved. But we remain committed to bringing them back to the country so that they can face trial before the courts here," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Both Modi and Mallya, who are facing serious charges in India, have been living in the UK.
Lalit Modi fled India in 2010 following allegations against him related to tax evasion, money-laundering and proxy ownership linked to the money-minting IPL. The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Lalit Modi manipulated the process of assigning broadcast rights of the IPL in 2009, reportedly in exchange for a kickback of over 125 crores.
Vijay Mallya, the former chairman of United Breweries and promoter of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, fled India in 2016 after allegations of fraud. The businessman has been accused of defaulting on multiple loan repayments and owes banks in India approximately Rs 9,000 crore. He was declared a "fugitive economic offender" in 2019 by the Indian authorities - which Mallya had challenged in the High Court.
The fugitives were last seen singing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" at a lavish private gathering in London in July. The karaoke night, hosted by Modi as his "annual summer party", was attended by more than 300 guests.
