Royal Challenger Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya today threw his weight behind beleaguered Lalit Modi and said the IPL Commissioner should be given a chance to defend himself in the wake of the raging controversy.

"Lalit Modi is a friend of mine and I met him at the awards function last night. But we did not discuss the current controversy. I think Modi must be given some opportunity at some point of time to explain himself," Mallya told reporters after meeting former BCCI president Sharad Pawar.