Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu citizenship revoked amid extradition concerns

Vanuatu cancels passport issued to fugitive Lalit Modi

Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, has ordered the cancellation of a passport issued to Indian businessman Lalit Modi, citing concerns that he obtained citizenship to evade extradition. Modi, the former chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is wanted in India for corruption-related charges.

India confirms Modi’s Vanuatu citizenship

The decision to revoke Modi’s citizenship came just three days after Indian authorities confirmed that he had acquired citizenship of Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation comprising over 80 islands. India has been seeking his extradition for years, alleging that he manipulated team bids and engaged in financial irregularities during his tenure as the head of the IPL.

Modi, who has resided in the UK since 2010, has consistently denied all allegations against him. Despite multiple extradition attempts by Indian authorities, he has managed to avoid legal proceedings in India.

Vanuatu government revokes citizenship

On Monday, PM Napat declared that Modi’s citizenship would be canceled, emphasizing that a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right. He stated that applicants must have legitimate reasons for seeking citizenship, and avoiding extradition is not one of them.

“None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light clearly indicate was Mr. Modi’s intention,” the official statement read.

The prime minister explained that background checks and Interpol screenings conducted during Modi’s passport application process revealed no criminal convictions. However, in the past 24 hours, authorities learned that Interpol had twice declined India’s request to issue a red notice against Modi due to a lack of substantial judicial evidence.

“Any such alert would have triggered an automatic rejection of Mr. Modi’s citizenship application,” Napat stated.

Indian authorities welcome decision

The revocation of Modi’s Vanuatu passport is expected to be a positive development for Indian authorities, as the island nation does not have an extradition treaty with India. Extradition treaties allow governments to request the repatriation of individuals accused of crimes in their home country.

A day before Vanuatu’s decision, Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that there were no legal cases pending against him in any Indian court. He also accused the media of spreading “fake news” about him.

Allegations against Lalit Modi

Lalit Modi was instrumental in launching the IPL in 2008, a tournament that has since grown into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. However, in 2010, he was accused of rigging bids for team franchises and unauthorized sale of broadcasting and internet rights.

As a result of these allegations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) imposed a lifetime ban on him in 2013, barring him from any involvement in cricket administration.

Modi’s Indian passport surrender application

Modi recently submitted an application to surrender his Indian passport at the Indian High Commission in London, a move confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“He has made an application for surrendering his passport in the High Commission of India, London. The same will be examined in light of extant rules and procedures. We are also given to understand that he has acquired citizenship of Vanuatu. We continue to pursue the case against him as required under law,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.

With his Vanuatu citizenship revoked, Modi’s legal status remains uncertain as India continues its efforts to bring him to justice.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.

The post Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu citizenship revoked amid extradition concerns appeared first on PGurus.