Vanuatu has revoked the citizenship of Lalit Modi, a fugitive Indian businessman, following revelations about his intentions to avoid extradition. Modi, who once held the influential position of chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), faces a corruption case in Delhi. The decision to cancel his passport underscores ongoing international scrutiny over Modi's attempts to evade legal proceedings.
Modi played a pivotal role in establishing the IPL in 2008, transforming it into a lucrative multi-billion-dollar industry. However, his tenure was marred by allegations of rigging bids and unauthorized sales of broadcasting and internet rights. These accusations led to a lifetime ban from cricket activities by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2013. Despite these charges, Modi has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Since 2010, Modi has resided in the United Kingdom, evading numerous efforts by India to extradite him. In London, he applied to surrender his Indian passport, subsequently obtaining citizenship from Vanuatu, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. However, Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat ordered the cancellation of Modi's passport after concerns arose regarding his motives for seeking citizenship.
"Applicants must seek citizenship for legitimate reasons," a media release quoted Napat as saying. "None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light clearly indicate was Mr Modi's intention."
Despite Interpol's refusal to issue an alert notice on Modi due to a lack of "substantive judicial evidence," Vanuatu proceeded with the cancellation. The move highlights the complexities involved in navigating international legal systems and the challenges countries face in dealing with individuals accused of high-profile financial crimes.
"Any such alert would've triggered an automatic rejection of Mr Modi's citizenship application," the release added.
Leave a Reply