Watan – In the bustling city of Bangalore, India, a palace atop a skyscraper captures the world’s attention. Its unexpected aesthetics and luxurious design stand out, but the Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, its owner, might never reside in it.
This grand structure, dubbed a replica of the White House, sits atop the “Kingfisher Towers”. It soars at a height of 400 feet, spans two floors, and covers an area of 40,000 square meters. Worth $20 million, this lavish edifice perches on a massive plate atop the skyscraper in the upscale UB City retail and office area. Mallya built it on a 4.5-acre plot that once belonged to his ancestors.
The palace’s original design included a wine cellar, a heated indoor pool, an infinity outdoor pool, and even a helipad on the roof. However, Mallya has kept the final design a mystery since he announced his dream home plans in 2010.
Vijay Mallya, the son of “United Breweries” group founder Vital Mallya, left India in March 2016 when banks and investigative agencies started pursuing him for massive unpaid loans. Mallya has since denied these charges, and India seeks his extradition from the UK.
The billionaire’s empire once included a Formula 1 racing team, an Indian Premier League cricket team, liquor factories, and an airline. The court fined him 2,000 rupees (about 21 pounds) for transferring $40 million to his children, violating court orders.
Mallya fled to the UK amidst allegations of embezzling loans amounting to $1.4 billion for his Kingfisher Airlines to buy properties and fund his lavish lifestyle, rather than supporting the airline. Authorities arrested him in March 2017 and later granted him conditional bail.
In response to questions about extraditing Mallya and another Indian billionaire, Nirav Modi, wanted in India on money laundering and fraud charges, UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat stated in August that the UK doesn’t intend to become a haven for those evading justice.