'Commission Will Await...': Lalit Modi's Rejoinder After Vanuatu Passport Cancellation Reports

Last Updated:March 10, 2025, 18:00 IST

Lalit Modi's remarks came after Vanuatu PM Jotham Napat ordered the cancellation of his passport, saying that the IPL founder was attempting to avoid his extradition to India.

Lalit Modi's Vanuatu passport has been ordered to be cancelled. (File)

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi has responded to reports of his Vanuatu passport being cancelled on the orders of Prime Minister Jotham Napat, saying that the chairman of Vanuatu Citizenship Commission will wait for the outcome of the court before making a decision on the matter.

This came after Modi, who is wanted in India for his alleged involvement in money laundering, applied to surrender his passport at the High Commission of London after acquiring the citizenship of Vanuatu, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday. However, Napat on Monday directed the Commission to cancel the passport issued to Modi, saying he was attempting to avoid his extradition.

Quoting VBTC News, Modi said on X, “The chairman of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission said his office would wait for the outcome of the court before making a decision on Mr. Lalit Modi as a Ni-Vanuatu. "

According to the report, Charles Maniel, the chairman of the commission, started the process of cancelling Modi’s passport after the order issued by PM Napat after “some allegations made by Mr Modi is passing for it in court".

“Chairman Maniel said that if the court finds that Mr. If Modi is guilty, the commission will start the process of canceling his passport and citizenship as a Ni-Vanuatu," Modi wrote on X, quoting the report.

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In a later post, Modi shared some pictures of himself in the country, saying, “Vanuatu a beautiful country. You must put on your bucket list. Away from all the pollution and noise. Truly heavenly country (sic)."

Modi, during his tenure as former vice-president with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was accused of bid-rigging and money laundering, along with contravention of provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). He fled the country in 2010.

He is learnt to have been living in London and is now known to have acquired citizenship of Vanuatu, a South Pacific Island nation.

In an official statement, Napat said he instructed that Modi’s passport be cancelled following revelations in international media. “I have been made aware in the past 24 hours that Interpol twice rejected Indian authorities’ requests to issue an alert notice on Mr Lalit Modi due to lack of substantive judicial evidence. Any such alert would have triggered an automatic rejection of Mr Modi’s citizenship application," he said.

“Prime Minister emphasised that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right, and applicants must seek citizenship for legitimate reasons. None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light clearly indicate was Mr Modi’s intention," the statement further read.

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News india 'Commission Will Await...': Lalit Modi's Rejoinder After Vanuatu Passport Cancellation Reports