Lalit Modi's passport revoked

Mar 04, 2011 |

PTI via AFP

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New Delhi: Indian authorities on Friday revoked the passport of former Indian Premier League supremo Lalit Modi, six months after he was ousted from running the lucrative tournament over graft allegations.

Modi, who now lives in London, faces criminal charges including false accounting, and accusations by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that more than 106 million dollars were misappropriated during IPL events.

His passport was revoked in a government bid to force him to return to India over charges related to alleged foreign exchange violations, without further explaining the authorities' plans.

Modi founded the IPL in 2008 and his brash style came to personify the event, which revolutionised cricket with a money-spinning blend of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour.

But the annual tournament was soon dogged by allegations of massive corporate corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners and even links to India's criminal underworld.

Modi has consistently denied all accusations made against him and has vowed to fight to clear his name, saying he is available for questioning in Britain but will not return to India. He lashed out on Friday over the revoking of his passport, saying on Twitter "mere allegations, investigation agencies have come up with zilch."

His lawyer Mehmood Abdi told reporters the decision was "very strange and shocking."

Modi says he lives in London, surrounded by bodyguards, as his life is in danger from Mumbai-based gangsters linked to illegal gambling.

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