Mumbai: Lalit Modi now faces a non bailable warrant. The warrant was issued by a special court on the grounds that Lalit Modi did not respond to the summons by the Enforcement Directorate.
A special court here on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against former IPL chief Lalit Modi in a case of alleged money laundering registered against him.
The warrant was issued on the grounds that Mr. Modi did not respond to the summons by the Enforcement Directorate and his past conduct of disregarding summons in other cases of financial irregularities against him, ED’s lawyer Hiten Venegaonkar told The Hindu.
The Enforcement Directorate had, on July 27, moved the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court seeking a warrant against Mr. Modi after he did not respond to their summons of July 3.
The central agency, had 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.
Arguing before the court, the ED said it wanted to arrest Mr. Modi, who fled to London five years ago to escape prosecution, to question him in light of some new evidence and for his refusal to heed the summons.
The court’s orders come in the wake of a controversy surrounding External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly recommending his immigration application, though both have denied the charges.
