Red corner notice likely against Lalit Modi

ED requests CBI for issue of the international notice

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi’s troubles are likely to mount soon, with India asking for a red corner notice against him.

Sources said the Mumbai unit of the Enforcement Directorate, which has been probing against Modi for  alleged violations, has sought a red corner notice against him. It has sent an application to its headquarters on Monday to be forwarded to the Interpol wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“We have sent the request to CBI for issue of a red corner notice,” said an official.

A red corner notice is a request for arrest of wanted persons, with a view to extradition. Currently this is the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today.

The request for the notice follows the investigative agency obtaining a non-bailable arrest warrant against Modi from the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.

As Modi is residing in the UK, the agency needs a red corner notice to implement the court order.

Modi is facing 16 cases of Foreign Exchange Management Act violation and one case of PMLA violation.

Modi was issued summons in the PMLA case for the first time in the first week of July. But his legal team did not accept it, as they were "not authorised to receive it". The agency later e-mailed the summons to Modi and pasting it at his last known address.

According to norms, once the summons are issued against a person, he needs to appear before the agency within two weeks. As this did not happen, ED approached the special PMLA court, seeking a non-bailable warrant against Modi.

The PMLA case against Modi is based on a criminal complaint filed by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2010, accusing him of misappropriation of funds during his tenure as IPL chief.

In 2008, BCCI awarded 10-year media rights to WSG India for $642 million and MSMS for $276 million for certain geographies. In March 2009, Modi terminated the contract with MSMS for violating some rules and signed a fresh agreement with WSG Mauritius without following any tender process.

Later that month, BCCI entered into contracts with MSMS under which the latter would pay the cricket body Rs 3,949 crore for match broadcast rights. MSMS also signed a contract with WSG Mauritius for a Rs 425 crore facilitation fee, which the BCCI later claimed should come to it.