Industrialist and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who had been in the UK since March last year, was finally arrested in London on Tuesday by Scotland Yard on India’s request for his extradition.
Mallya, who is a proclaimed offender in India, and whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks here, had fled India to take refuge in the UK on March 2, 2016.
In January, a CBI court issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya, who has since been absconding from the law. The warrant is in connection to the Rs 720-crore IDBI Bank loan default case that Mallya has been convicted for. India had also requested the Theresa May government to extradite the offender back to India.
According to an official statement by Scotland Yard, Mallya had been arrested on behalf on Indian authorities in respect to a fraud case. He was later represented in the Westminster Magistrates Court in London.
Within hours of his arrest, Mallya was granted bail by the London Court.
Taking a dig at Indian media, Mallya himself tweeted the news:
Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in Court started today as expected.
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) April 18, 2017
Needless to say, the series of events has left Twitter abuzz with reactions. Here are some of the best reactions to his arrest as people could not help but rejoice (and exasperate) with memes and jokes:
What’s the need to arrest Vijay Mallya? He has anyway spent most of his life behind bars.#SelfThoo
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) April 18, 2017
SBI management right now#VijayMallya pic.twitter.com/QhWNfOeT99
— Udta Kabutar🍻 (@sachya2002) April 18, 2017
Banks after #VijayMallya‘s #London Arrest news pic.twitter.com/n4DISKhDd6
— TheFrustratedIndian (@FrustIndian) April 18, 2017
When your mom forces you to return home early. pic.twitter.com/lO4knppLK0
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) April 18, 2017
The good times had to come to an end, Mr Mallya. #ArnabWithYouSoon pic.twitter.com/ph6u0izie6
— Republic (@republic) April 18, 2017
Vijay Mallya arrested in London; may soon be extradited to India.
SBI right now : pic.twitter.com/Ffr5RhOsAq— SAGAR (@sagarcasm) April 18, 2017
But the joy soon turned to despair after his bail was announced:
Vijay Mallya gets bail.
SBI right now : pic.twitter.com/Dj3UV9jsxP— SAGAR (@sagarcasm) April 18, 2017
#VijayMallya‘s new book. pic.twitter.com/3itoCjyhdz
— Krishna (@Atheist_Krishna) April 18, 2017
Lord Bail-ish. #VijayMallya pic.twitter.com/xX7d6aAVBG
— SAGAR (@sagarcasm) April 18, 2017
#VIjayMallya gets bail 3 hours after arrest.
Mallya be like – pic.twitter.com/ccSV4Xp3SQ
— Fukkard (@Fukkard) April 18, 2017
Scotland Yard: “You get one phone call”#VijayMallya: “Okay”
*tring tring* “Hello, room-service? Woh seekh kebab ka order cancel kar do.”— Akshar (@AksharPathak) April 18, 2017
Kudos to Rahul Gandhi for ensuring bail for vijay mallya. No? https://t.co/931ri9By7v
— shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) April 18, 2017
Snapchat stories last longer than Vijay Mallya in police custody.
— himanshu khodke (@HimanshuKhodke) April 18, 2017
A Farmers didn’t pay loan & gets arrested immediately. #VijayMallya didn’t pay loan and gets arrested after 6 months & Got Bail immediately!
— Virender Sehwag (@VirenderSahweg) April 18, 2017
Dear Bhakts,
If your Celebration is over then listen ‘#VijayMallya gets bail from UK court 3 hours after arrest’. 🙏🏻 Regards#NotABhakt— Irony Of India (@IronyOfIndia_) April 18, 2017
#VijayMallya arrested and soon got bail. It was nothing but a strategic time out for him in IPL’s language. #GLvRCB
— Virender Sehwag (@VirenderSehweg) April 18, 2017
Mallya’s bail was quicker than
“Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all documents before investing” #vijaymallya— Prerak (@preraksheth55) April 18, 2017
I was in Marathahalli when Vijay Mallya got arrested and before I reach near Silk board, he got bail.
— EngiNerd. (@mainbhiengineer) April 18, 2017
#VIJAYMALLYA ARRESTED IN LONDON
Me: “Nice!” *starts writing a joke*#VIJAYMALLYA GETS BAILMe: *backspacing* “Madar…”
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) April 18, 2017