The Enforcement Directorate
today moved a court in Mumbai for a non-bailable warrant against former
Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi.
The
move by the Enforcement Directorate or ED comes after Mr Modi failed to
respond to a notice served to him on July 3 to appear within two weeks
in connection with a case lodged under the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act.
The court is
expected to pass orders on August 3 after hearing arguments. If the
court issues a non-bailable warrant, it also paves the way for a Red
Corner notice against Mr Modi.
However,
the court questioned the timing of the ED's move given that the
investigation has been going on for years. But the ED argued that they
have stumbled upon concrete evidence recently and they want the arrest
warrant issued or else there is a possibility of evidence being
destroyed. The ED also said that Lalit Modi is sure to tamper with
evidence and they need his custody as other ways to get to him have
failed.
Stressing on the fact that the
case had international ramifications, the ED argued "We want to arrest
Lalit Modi as he has not honoured the last three summons."
The
ED said it needs to question Mr Modi urgently about an alleged kickback
of nearly Rs 125 crore paid after he reportedly manipulated the process
of assigning the broadcast rights of the IPL. The case against him was
filed by N Srinivasan, the former chief of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India, who testified earlier this month with the ED in
Mumbai.
Mr Modi has so far
refused to return home citing death threats from the underworld. His
offer to appear via videoconference was accepted as a fair one last year
by the Delhi High Court when it restored his Indian passport, declaring
that the government had wrongly revoked it.
A
huge political storm was kicked up last month after Mr Modi's ties with
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje were revealed.
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