India threatens to cancel Lalit Modi’s passport

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has threatened to cancel the passport of suspended former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi’s passport if he does not respond to corruption charges by next Thursday.

Modi has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on charges of bribery allegations in the 2008 auction for new teams in the IPL.

Modi has been living mainly outside India since the controversy began, and to force his return home to co-operate with the investigation, the BCCI approached the external affairs ministry to cancel his passport.

Rao said a notice was sent to Modi on Oct. 13 and if he fails to respond by Oct. 28, his passport will be revoked by the ministry.

She said her ministry received a request this month from the directorate of enforcement asking it to revoke Modi’s passport “in the public interest and in the interest of a thorough investigation of alleged irregularities he has committed”.