Port Vila, March 11, 2025:
The Vanuatu Government has revoked the passport of former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Lalit Modi, following concerns that he sought citizenship to evade extradition. Modi, under investigation by Indian authorities for financial misappropriation, had announced he would give up his Indian passport after obtaining citizenship of Vanuatu.
In an official statement on Monday, Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat directed the Citizenship Commission to begin the cancellation procedure of Modi’s passport at once. This came after reports of Interpol denying the Indian authorities issuing alert notices against Modi for an alleged lack of judicial evidence surfaced.
Napat’s statement went further. “I have instructed the Citizenship Commission to immediately begin proceedings to cancel Mr. Modi’s Vanuatu passport. I have been made aware in the past 24 hours that Interpol twice rejected Indian authorities’ requests to issue an alert notice due to lack of substantive judicial evidence. Any such alert would have triggered an automatic rejection of Mr. Modi’s citizenship application.”
He stated that Modi’s move to obtain Vanuatu citizenship appeared to be an attempt to avoid extradition. “None of those legitimate reasons [for citizenship] include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light indicate was Mr. Modi’s intention,” the statement read.
Last week, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), confirmed that Modi had applied to surrender his Indian passport at the High Commission of India in London.
“The same will be examined in light of extant rules and procedures. We continue to pursue the case against him as required under law,” Jaiswal stated.
Lalit Modi, a key figure behind the launch of the IPL, has been under investigation for alleged foreign exchange violations and financial misconduct, particularly regarding a controversial Rs 425-crore television rights deal for the 2009 IPL season with World Sports Group. He fled to the United Kingdom in May 2010 after attending just one interrogation session with the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax officials in Mumbai.
With Vanuatu now revoking his passport, Modi’s legal and diplomatic challenges appear to be mounting. The latest development raises questions about his citizenship status and the possibility of renewed extradition efforts by Indian authorities.
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