In an email interview to the Sunday Guardian, Vijay Mallya has denied charges that he was on the run to evade law enforcement agencies, and said the time was not right for him to return to the country. The former liquor baron, who owes more than Rs 7,000 crore to 17 banks, left for England on March 2 soon after resigning as chairman of United Spirits. His lawyers have told the Central Bureau of Investigation that he will be back by month-end.

The Rajya Sabha member told the newspaper that he wanted to return to India, but he wasn't sure if he will get a fair chance to present his side as the media has already branded him a criminal. "I do not feel the time is right. I feel passions are high. People need to think rationally. They need to understand that business, whether large or small, has risks involved. But I hope that I return one day. India has given me everything," he said.

A Hyderabad court has issued non-bailable warrants against Mallya and A Raghunath, the chief financial officer of Kingfisher Airlines, in a cheating case filed by infrastructure major GMR Group's Hyderabad arm. The India Today reported that the company had moved the court against Mallya and the now-defunct airline for defaulting payments and for issuing cheques that bounced later. The court had asked the duo to appear before it on March 10. When they failed to appear before the court, it issued warrants against them. The police has been ordered to produce Mallya in court by April 13.