Deadline to appear ends, Enforcement Directorate to seek non-bailable warrant against ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi

NEW DELHI: As the deadline for Lalit Modi to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ended on Monday, the agency said it had not received any communication from the former IPL commissioner who relocated to the UK in 2010 following his suspension over alleged irregularities. The email address on which the agency had sent the summons to Modi was operational, a top ED official said.

The agency on Monday also approached a Mumbai special court for issuing letters rogatory (LRs) to Singapore and Mauritius in connection with its probe into the money laundering charges against Modi, as ET on June 30 had first reported that ED planned to do. The LRs will be served to the two countries through the diplomatic channels, officials said. The agency will now approach the court for issuance of non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Modi for noncompliance of summons, they said.

The official cited earlier said the agency had also informed Modi’s legal representative Mehmood Abdi about the issuance of summons under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Abdi returned the summons a day later saying that he is not authorised to receive them, the official said. Abdi had returned the summons on the directions of Modi, officials said, implying that Modi was informed about the issuance of summons. Modi had on July 7 tweeted though that he did not receive any summons. His lawyer said, "I have not received any such summons. ED has Mr Modi’s address in the UK. They are required to serve him as per the procedure prescribed in law."

The ED is likely to mention before the court that Modi has appointed Abdi to handle all his legal matters and therefore it was "prudent" on its part to give the summons to him. An NBW may pave the way for issue of red corner notice against Modi, who is believed to be based in London.