Shortly after Lalit Modi, the former founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), submitted a request to the Indian High Commission in London to relinquish his Indian passport, Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat instructed the Citizenship Commission on Monday to revoke the passport granted to Modi, asserting that the fugitive was seeking to evade extradition.
The recent developments arise from disclosures in international media indicating that the former IPL chief is sought by Indian law enforcement authorities due to his purported involvement in the embezzlement of substantial sums during his tenure as the head of the IPL.
An official statement from the media noted, "I have directed the Citizenship Commission to revoke the Vanuatu passport granted to Lalit Modi in light of the recent revelations in international media".
I have recently learned that within the last 24 hours, Interpol has declined Indian authorities' requests on two occasions to issue an alert notice regarding Lalit Modi, citing insufficient judicial evidence. The issuance of such an alert would have resulted in an automatic denial of Modi's citizenship application. Furthermore, the statement indicated that the Prime Minister underscored that possessing a Vanuatu passport is a privilege rather than a right, and that applicants must pursue citizenship for valid reasons.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)