Vanuatu Prime Minister Revokes Citizenship of Fugitive Indian Businessman Lalit Modi
In a dramatic turn of events, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu has issued a decisive order to cancel the passport granted to Lalit Modi, the controversial Indian businessman at the center of a corruption scandal. The directive comes hot on the heels of revelations that Modi had acquired citizenship of the Pacific island nation, a move that raised eyebrows and prompted swift action from authorities.
Lalit Modi, a former stalwart of the Indian Premier League (IPL), stands accused of orchestrating bid rigging schemes during his tenure as the head honcho of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament. While he has vehemently denied these allegations, India has persistently sought his extradition to face justice on home soil.
Having resided in the United Kingdom since 2010, Modi found himself in the spotlight once again as reports emerged of his newly acquired Vanuatu citizenship. The news sent shockwaves through India, where the tycoon was once synonymous with the glitz and glamour of the IPL, hobnobbing with Bollywood celebrities and the country’s social elite.
However, the celebratory mood was short-lived as Vanuatu’s leader, Prime Minister Jotham Napat, took a stern stance against Modi’s citizenship status. Napat emphasized that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege that must be sought for legitimate reasons, and evading extradition does not meet the criteria.
Detailing the decision to revoke Modi’s citizenship, Napat underscored the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that applicants demonstrate genuine intentions. While initial background checks had shown no criminal record, fresh information revealed that Interpol had twice rebuffed India’s requests for an alert notice on Modi due to lack of compelling judicial evidence.
The move to strip Modi of his Vanuatu citizenship is likely to provide a sense of relief to Indian authorities, given the absence of an extradition treaty between Vanuatu and India. Extradition treaties serve as crucial mechanisms for repatriating individuals accused of crimes between nations, and the absence of such an agreement posed a significant hurdle in Modi’s potential return to India to face legal proceedings.
In a bid to deflect mounting scrutiny, Modi took to social media to assert his innocence, claiming that there were no pending cases against him in Indian courts and lambasting the media for spreading misinformation. Nevertheless, his past actions continue to cast a shadow over his legacy, particularly concerning allegations of bid manipulation and unauthorized commercial dealings within the realm of cricket.
Modi’s pivotal role in establishing the IPL in 2008 catapulted the tournament into a global sporting phenomenon, transforming it into a multi-billion-dollar industry that captured the imagination of cricket enthusiasts worldwide. However, his fall from grace following the scandal has tarnished his once-shining reputation, leading to a lifetime ban from cricket activities by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2013.
As the saga surrounding Lalit
