As there is a delay in the Interpol issuing a Red Corner Notice against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, the Enforcement Directorate has stepped on the peddal and asked the government to initiate extra
As there is a delay in the Interpol issuing a Red Corner Notice against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, the Enforcement Directorate has stepped on the peddal and asked the government to initiate extradition proceedings with the UK in connection with its money laundering case registered against him and others.
Official sources said on Friday that the agency has moved an official request in this regard to the Union home ministry with a copy of a recently issued non-bailable warrant by a Mumbai court against Modi.
“The ED has sought initiation of extradition proceedings against Lalit Modi based on a court warrant against him. It has been indicated by the agency that the man they are looking for is in the United Kingdom,” they said. Modi has been denying any wrong doing as alleged by the ED, which claimed that he cheated BCCI-IPL in granting overseas telecast rights of the cricket tournament in 2009. Sources said the MHA, in consultation with the ministry of external affairs, will go through the ED request and decide on initiating the provisions of the extradition treaty existing between India and the UK. The ED has been wanting Modi to “join investigations” in a case relating to T-20 cricket Indian Premier League after an FIR was registered against him and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In August, the agency had moved the Interpol to get a Red Corner Notice issued against Modi but the global police body has not obliged the ED yet in this regard.
Recently, Interpol authorities, for the third time sought additional information from the ED on their money laundering case against Modi, as part of the process to issue such a world-wide notice against him. The agency had sought Interpol’s help as domestic legal options available to it for serving its summons to Modi issued under anti-money laundering laws had failed. After Modi’s legal representatives in Mumbai refused to accept the summons, contending they were not authorised for it, the ED had e-mailed it to the former IPL boss but elicited no response from him.
