Court allows ED for Lalit Modi's extradition from UK

NEW DELHI: Former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi’s legal troubles could increase as a designated court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has given a nod to begin extradition proceedings against Modi to bring him back to India.

Special Judge PR Bhavake who heard ED arguments on Tuesday issued a letter of request (LR) to the UK to execute a non-bailable warrant against Modi and bring him back to India.

On Tuesday, ED Counsel Hiten Hiten Venegaokar told the court, “We need his presence to question him and seek clarification on several aspects in the probe. For this, we have to initiate the process of extradition.”

In its application filed last week, the ED had argued before the court that it needed Modi’s custody as he had cheated the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) by getting ‘illegal gains’ from media rights as well as other deals that he entered in to with different companies while he was the IPL chairman.

The agency in its argument n Tuesdaytold the court that it needed the former IPL Chairman’s presence as it wanted him to answer queries related to the media rights like the Singapore based Multi Screen Media and World Sports Group, Modi had signed deals with the companies in 2009 when he was the IPL Chairman.

The court was told that it had not been able to execute the non- bailable warrant against Modi as the latter was currently residing in the United Kingdom and until he was presented before the ED to ‘assist in the investigation’ the latter would not be able to proceed in the case.

The ED had earlier sought details of transactions between Singapore-based Multi Screen Media and World Sports Group, with whom Modi had signed a deal in 2009 for the Indian Premier League.

The ED move, however, is not a setback to Modi as the process for extradition is a long process and India has not had much success when it comes to extraditing its nationals from UK.