‘Justice must be fair...’: Harsh Goenka questions why Mallya is ‘still a punching bag’ despite loan recovery

Industrialist Harsh Goenka has raised eyebrows with a pointed question: if Vijay Mallya’s dues are truly settled, why is he still a political scapegoat? Taking to social media, the RPG Enterprises Chairman said justice must not be selective, urging banks to clarify the current status of Mallya’s debt. His post has reignited debate over one of India’s most high-profile financial scandals.

In a post on X (formally Twitter), Goenka wrote, “Vijay Mallya lived the high life, yes. Defaulted, yes. Unlike most others, his ₹9,000+ crore dues are now reportedly settled. Meanwhile, bigger defaulters walk free with much fatter haircuts from banks. If dues remain, the banks should clearly say so. If not, why is he still a political punching bag? Justice must be fair, not selective.”

Mallya swiftly responded, thanking Goenka and stating, “The Union Finance Ministry has confirmed in writing that Banks have recovered Rs 14,100 crores from me against a DRT judgement debt of Rs 6,203 crores. Why the blatant discrimination?”

Accused of fraud and money laundering, Mallya owes Indian banks around ₹9,000 crore and fled the country in 2016. He has since lived in the UK, fighting extradition.

According to the Finance Ministry, the Enforcement Directorate has recovered ₹22,280 crore from various banking scams, including the Mallya case.

In February, Mallya told the Karnataka High Court that the ₹6,200 crore debt had been “recovered multiple times over.” He requested a detailed statement of recovered amounts from him, United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL), and other associated debtors.

He also claimed the banks had recovered ₹14,131.8 crore, more than double the judgment debt. “Finally, against a judgment debt of Rs 6,203 crore, admitted recovery of Rs 14,131.8 crore, which will be evidence in my UK bankruptcy annulment application. Wonder what banks will say in an English Court,” he wrote earlier.