Lalit Modi offers ED expenses to quiz him

Accused of foreign exchange funds rule violations, the sacked Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Lalit Modi, has offered travel expenses to the Enforcement Directorate’s officials to visit him in London and quiz him for alleged fraud of IPL money.

Modi, avoiding an arrest in India for some cases, including a criminal offence lodged with the Chennai police, made himseld a “self-exiled Indian” in the United Kingdom capital and now calling the ED officials to quiz him on alleged offences in several parts of the country.

Modi, suspended as the IPL chairman by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in April, has been facing charges ranging from financial irregularities to rigging bids, proxy holdings and kickbacks in broadcast deals.

He is also facing an internal BCCI probe from a disciplinary panel headed by Chirayu Amin, with Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia being the other two members.

About Modi’s latest offer to quiz him in London, sources said such a provision was permissible under section 131 of the Income Tax Act.

“The ED authorities can appoint a Commission to take statement and collect information. It’s not anything new and is permissible under the law,” a published report said on Wednesday.

The ED has issued a Blue Notice — an international alert to law enforcement agencies to obtain information about a person’s identity and activities — against Modi in its probe into the finances of the Twenty20 league.