HC notice to Centre, Passport Office on Lalit Modi's plea

The Delhi High Court today sought response of the Centre and the Passport Office on an appeal of sacked IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, facing probe for alleged financial irregularities in IPL, against a single judge's order rejecting his plea for restoration of his passport.
A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain issued notices to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Chief Passport Officer (CPO) and Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Mumbai and sought their reply by April 29 on Modi's plea challenging the January 16 order.
Modi, who is presently in London, has said in his plea that he be either issued a fresh passport or the revocation of earlier passport be held as illegal.

The Regional Passport Office in Mumbai had revoked Modi's passport on March 3, 2010 following the probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Modi has contended that his passport be restored as it was revoked by the authorities without following the due process of law.
"The passport authorities' decision to cancel his passport was not in conformity with the provisions of the Passport Act and the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution," a petition filed on Modi's behalf has said.

Modi, who has been summoned several times by the ED in the past, had moved the high court through his attorney Mehmood Abdi against the Delhi CPO's decision, upholding revocation of his passport by the Mumbai RPO.

The former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman had also pleaded to the court to summon records of the proceedings held before the RPO and the CPO.
The ED had made a request to the RPO, Mumbai that Modi be either called back or his passport be revoked.