Lalit Modi apologises for ‘India’s biggest fugitive’ remark:Former IPL chief says his statement was misconstrued, adds he has ‘highest respect for the Indian govt’

India’s fugitive billionaire Lalit Modi has apologised for a viral video that had surfaced on social media on December 22. In the video, he and King Fisher Airlines owner Vijay Mallya were seen calling themselves the two biggest fugitives of India. Now Lalit has apologized for his video. In an X post, Lalit wrote- Both Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya have been living in the UK since they were declared economic offenders in India. Mallya was officially declared a fugitive economic offender in 2019. Meanwhile, Lalit Modi has been living abroad since 2010 and faces serious charges related to tax evasion, money laundering, and the IPL. READ MORE | WATCH | Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi spotted together in London Now, know what the whole matter is… Recently, a video of Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi went viral. In it, Lalit Modi calls himself and Mallya the two biggest fugitives from India. The video was from Mallya’s birthday. Lalit Modi himself posted it. He wrote, ‘Come on, let’s shake up the internet again. Especially for you, media people. Keep watching with jealousy.’ In the video, Mallya was seen smiling with his partner Pinky Lalwani. Now watch the video… December 23: Bombay High Court heard Mallya’s petition on Tuesday In the petition, Mallya had challenged the charge of being called an ‘Economic Offender’. Addressing the matter, the Bombay High Court asked Mallya’s lawyer when he (Mallya) would return to India. A bench of Chief Justice Shri Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad had said that Mallya is currently outside the jurisdiction of the Indian court. In such a situation, his petition cannot be heard. During this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had argued that challenging the law while staying abroad should not be allowed. He informed that the extradition process of Mallya is in its final stage. Mallya’s lawyer claimed that a significant portion of the financial liability to the banks has been recovered, but the court said that criminal liability cannot be extinguished without appearing before the court. READ MORE | Lalit Modi’s brother held on rape charge Why did Lalit Modi flee from India? Lalit Modi was the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association from 2005 to 2009. In 2008, he started the IPL. BCCI made him the president and commissioner of the IPL. In 2010, Lalit was accused of corruption in the IPL. Lalit had given a 425 crore IPL contract to the Mauritian company World Sports. Modi was accused of taking 125 crore rupees in commission. It was also said that he used unfair practices during the auction of two new teams. In 2010, BCCI suspended Lalit immediately after the final of the third season of the IPL. In 2010 itself, citing threats from the underworld, Lalit Modi fled India to London. ED issued a ‘Blue Corner’ notice against him. His passport was also cancelled.