Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, February 18, that he cannot provide a timeline for returning to India because he is legally prevented from leaving the United Kingdom.
Mallya’s lawyer, Amit Desai, informed the court that his client no longer holds a valid passport after its cancellation, making it impossible to give a definite return date. “As per orders from courts in England, he cannot leave the country… At present, he cannot specify when he will return to India,” Desai read in court.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In December 2025, the Bombay High Court had made it clear that it would not entertain Mallya’s plea against the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act unless he returned to India. The bench had asked him to indicate whether he intended to come back.
Desai argued that the court could hear Mallya’s petition without his personal presence, citing Supreme Court rulings where cases were taken up even in the absence of petitioners.
The judges, however, were not convinced, questioning why Mallya had not challenged the English court orders and whether those orders were being cited as an excuse. They asked his legal team to submit a proper affidavit for the Union of India to respond. The case has been adjourned to March 11.
Mallya, who left India in March 2016, faces allegations of loan defaults running into thousands of crores and money laundering.
