IPL money laundering case: ED seeks Letters Rogatories to Singapore, Mauritius

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought legal assistance from Singapore and Mauritius to take forward and widen its probe in the alleged financial irregularities in the Indian Premier League T-20 tournament ( IPL) and by its former chairman Lalit Modi and others.

Officials said the agency has initiated the "legal procedures" to obtain from a court two Letters Rogatories (overseas judicial requests) to be sent to the two countries as part of its probe in the alleged laundering of funds in awarding media rights of the money spinning cricket tournament in 2009.

A team of ED sleuths from its Mumbai zonal office has also been sent to Singapore but officials indicated they are in the foreign country for probing another case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

However, it is understood, the team would gather some important leads in connection with this case where the ED has recently showcaused, under foreign exchange violation laws, Modi and 13 other BCCI-Indian Premier League (IPL) officials and other private entities.

"The LRs are expected to be issued over the next few weeks. They would be vetted by the Finance Ministry and issued after getting the court's seal," officials said, adding the ED has already begun an assessment of assets of the accused which can be attached under PMLA.

The two accused companies in this case are based in either country and hence an LR is aimed to help ED obtain more details about their transactions and international financial deals vis-a-vis IPL.

The money laundering case pertains to a compliant filed by former BCCI chief N Srinivasan in the same deal with Chennai police in 2010 against Modi and others charging them with alleged embezzlement of funds and cheating the cricketing body in the awarding of telecast rights.

The ED registered its own criminal case under PMLA in 2012 and later carried out searches in Gurgaon and Delhi early this year to probe this deal which it suspects generated tainted funds.

Agency sources have earlier indicated that this being the only criminal case against the IPL-BCCI and Modi, it is expected that based on the positive progress of this probe, ED sleuths may further seek to notify an Interpol Red Corner notice against the former IPL Chairman to make him join the probe after deporting him from his present address in the United Kingdom.

Modi is currently embroiled in a controversy for obtaining travel benefits through External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and for his similar dealings with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

The ED, in its show cause notices issued in February this year under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in this case, has charged Modi with sending "fraud" emails and being a suspect beneficiary of Rs 125 crore illegal funds in connection with its Rs 425 crore forex violations probe for granting media rights of the T-20 tournament in 2009 by BCCI.