Vijay Mallya, the former liquor baron and businessman who recently went viral thanks to his podcast appearance, has found himself at the centre of another bizarre internet controversy involving an anonymous Instagram account that allegedly shares foot fetish content. The speculation started on June 7, when Mallya posted a link on X (formerly Twitter) to a post by Sabeer Bhatia, the Hotmail co-founder. Many Instagram users who clicked the link noticed something unusual.
Does Vijay Mallya Have A Foot Fetish Account?
What happened next was that a pop-up banner appeared stating that the post was shared by the Instagram account Indiaflash1812. When clicking on the account, users were led to a page that features photos and videos of Indian women driving barefoot. This prompted several users online to question whether Mallya was operating this burner Instagram account, either intentionally or due to a misstep in how he shared the post.
Typically, when an Instagram link is shared directly by a user, Instagram’s interface shows a message indicating who sent or shared the post. In this case, the fact that the shared link was traced to Indiaflash1812 has led to speculation that this account belongs to or is at least managed by Mallya.
According to user reports, the Indiaflash1812 account has been active since 2016 and has posted over 2,000 pieces of content, all centred around the niche theme of barefoot driving. Although no direct confirmation has been provided, and HT.com has stated it was unable to independently verify the claims, screenshots from social media showing the pop-up link have further fueled the speculation.
Adding to the intrigue, users have pointed out other potential links. In 2017, Formula 1 driver Sergio Pérez shared a post featuring Vijay Mallya and tagged the same Indiaflash account. Additionally, an unrelated meme account also tagged “Indiaflash” in a post about Mallya in 2018. While this could be coincidental, it has added to online suspicion. Another detail that has drawn attention is the Instagram handle itself, 1812, which is similar to Mallya’s birth date, which is December 18, 1955.
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For the unversed, Vijay Mallya maintains a public Instagram account under the verified handle vijaymallyaofficial, with over 145,000 followers. The bio describes him as a former Member of Parliament and a Formula One team principal, among other roles.
Vijay Mallya has yet to comment on this bizarre social media rumour.
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