The Bombay High Court cautioned Vijay Mallya against publicly airing documents connected with his ongoing legal proceedings | AI Generated File Image
Mumbai, September 22, 2026: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday pulled up fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya for taking his legal battle to social media after he uploaded an Enforcement Directorate affidavit on X, warning that such conduct could undermine the authority of court proceedings.
Justice Milind Jadhav told Mallya’s legal team to advise him against airing the dispute on social media, observing that he was “spoiling his own case” by doing so.
Court Objects To Social Media Posts
Justice Jadhav made the observations after ED counsel Ashish Mehta told the court that the agency had emailed its affidavit to Mallya’s legal team, following which Mallya uploaded the entire document on X with what the ED described as derogatory remarks.
The judge cautioned Mallya’s legal team to advise their client against such conduct. “Please make your client understand, this is not the way to do it. What happens is, it undermines the efficacy of the court then,” he said.
Senior Advocate Amit Desai, appearing for Mallya, assured the court that the message would be conveyed to his client. He, however, pointed out that the ED too had been making posts about Mallya.
Dispute Over Asset Recovery
The observations came during the hearing of Mallya’s plea concerning the recovery of his assets by central agencies. The ED, in its affidavit, said properties worth approximately Rs 14,131.60 crore, valued as of August 2021, had been restored to an SBI-led consortium of banks through proceedings before the Debt Recovery Tribunal and orders of the Special PMLA Court.
Desai argued that the recovery substantially exceeded the original decreed debt of around Rs 6,600 crore plus interest. Justice Jadhav directed the SBI consortium to file a fresh affidavit responding to the ED’s disclosures and permitted Mallya to thereafter file a comprehensive amendment application.
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ED Defends Criminal Proceedings
The ED maintained that recovery of commercial dues does not extinguish criminal liability. It said restoration of properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is distinct from proceedings concerning alleged loan diversion and financial fraud linked to Kingfisher Airlines.
The agency also stressed that Mallya remains a proclaimed offender and fugitive economic offender and has not returned to India to face the pending proceedings.
The matter will be heard next on October 13.
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