Special court issues non-bailable warrant against Lalit Modi

In a move to get the absconding Lalit Modi to face the Indian Law a special Mumbai court on Wednesday issued a non bailable warrant in an ongoing money laundering investigation against the former IPL boss. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had moved the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court last week seeking the issuance of the warrant.

The warrant was issued on the grounds of Mr. Modi not responding to the summons by the Enforcement Directorate and his past conduct of disregarding summons in other cases of financial irregularities against him. “Your (ED’s) application is allowed,” said Special Judge P R Bhavake while issuing the warrant. According to ED sources, this warrant will be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs which in turn will be sending it to the United Kingdom.

Lalit Modi left the country shortly after the ED began probing him in 2009. The then ED probe included investigations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) that payment of Rs 425 crore facilitation fees by MSM Singapore to WSG Mauritius was made in an unauthorised manner. The ED’s petition also said Modi caused loss of crores of rupees in a transaction where he was appointed “without any written contract and without following any tender process” for exploiting the time between deliveries for ad rights.

The agency, had earlier asked Mr. Modi to appear in person within 15 days in connection with a PMLA case filed by the BCCI in 2010, accusing him of misappropriating funds during his tenure as IPL chief. The case was filed by former BCCI chief N Srinivasan, who testified earlier this month with the ED in Mumbai.

The court’s orders come in the wake of a controversy surrounding External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly recommending his immigration application, though both have denied the charges.