Vanuatu Revokes Citizenship of Indian Ex-IPL Boss Lalit Modi Amid Corruption Charges

Indian authorities are likely reassured by Vanuatu's decision to cancel Modi's citizenship, given his ongoing legal issues surrounding alleged corruption during his time leading the IPL.

Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat has announced the cancellation of Lalit Modi's citizenship, a move underscored by revelations of Modi's intent to evade extradition from India. Indian officials confirmed that Modi, the former chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), had recently acquired Vanuatu citizenship, raising alarms regarding his ongoing corruption case in India. Modi has been living in the UK since 2010 and is facing allegations of manipulating bids following his tenure in the cricketing world.

On Friday, India's foreign ministry confirmed that Modi had sought to surrender his Indian passport while residing in London, indicating their continued efforts to pursue legal action against him. Modi is evading long-standing accusations which include rigging bids for IPL franchises and unauthorized sales of broadcasting rights, charges he has consistently denied.

Prime Minister Napat stated that a Vanuatu passport is a "privilege" meant for those with legitimate intentions, asserting that avoiding extradition was not a valid reason for seeking citizenship. He noted that initial screening processes indicated no criminal background, but recent insights revealed Interpol's rejection of India's requests for alerts on Modi due to insufficient evidence. This suggests that Modi had potentially misled Vanuatu authorities about his legal standing.

The revocation of Modi's citizenship will facilitate closer cooperation from Vanuatu towards India's extradition efforts, particularly since there’s no extradition treaty in place between the two nations. In a recent social media post, Modi declared there were no pending cases against him in India, calling the accusations and the ensuing media coverage "fake news." His controversial legacy stems from the establishment of the IPL in 2008, which initiated a new era in cricket as a robust commercial entity. His involvement in cricket officially ended when he received a lifetime ban from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2013.