A division bench of Delhi High Court on Wednesday has restored the passport of former Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi. The regional passport office in Mumbai had revoked Modi’s passport March 3, 2010. Banned by the Indian Board, Modi is likely to return to India and seek a re-entry to cricket administration in the country.
Modi, who has been elected president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association but remains banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, had challenged the single bench order of January 16 that dismissed his plea challenging the revocation of his passport. He is facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into allegations of financial irregularities in IPL.
The BCCI is against Modi’s return to Indian cricket. The Board suspended RCA after it unanimously elected Modi as president on the basis of a controversial Rajasthan Sports Act.
Modi is facing FEMA cases related to IPL and his presence is required before the Enforcement Directorate. The High Court said it is not expressing any opinion with regard to alleged FEMA violations by Modi.
Modi lives in the UK now. The British government had told the Ministry of External Affairs that Modi could continue to stay in the UK despite the cancellation of his passport by the Indian government. UK’s minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), while appreciating the “seriousness” of India’s concerns about Modi told MEA that various “legal constraints” prevented his immediate deportation.
