Views of Criminal Lawyer about ED'S Summons to the Lalit Modi

by Abhinav K. Digital Marketing Expert, Freelance

The Enforcement Directorate has been issuing summons to the former ex IPL Chairman Lalit Modi in money laundering case which was registered in 2010 by former BCCI chief N. Srinivasan in Chennai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, accusing him of misappropriation of Rs 425 crore, which was the worth of the deal between World Sports Group (WSG) and Multi Screen Media for television rights of the Indian premier league. BCCI awarded media rights for ten years to WSG whereas this company entered into a deal with Multi Screen Media to make Sony the official broadcaster.

"The ED has been serving the summons in various forms for a long time, but Lalit Modi has not complied with any of the summons till date. Payment of Rs 125 crores was made by Multi Screen Media to World Sports Group, here Lalti Modi could be the alleged eventual beneficiary of this amount because the Mauritius based company had no right over the media contract." Kislay Pandey, Criminal Lawyer, the Supreme Court of India.

Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi had said that the summons were misleading and had returned the copy of it to the ED. The former IPL chairman had also revealed that the Former chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje had signed a secret affidavit backing his plea for immigration in the UK. Lalit Modi had said that the ED knows his London address and he hasn't received any of the summons whereas Modi fled to London five years ago to escape the prosecution. He has obtained travel benefits through various prominent politicians and bureaucrats.

The ED has investigated 15 other cases of over Rs 2000 crores involving Modi. He was also summoned by the agency under the less draconian Foreign Exchange Management Act. If an individual does not comply with the summons issued the ED can move a court to obtain a non-bailable warrant, said a lawyer, who did not wish to be named.

"As Modi had not complied with the summons since 2009, the court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the former IPL chairman Lalit Modi in connection with money laundering case. Further added by the criminal lawyer. The ED had moved the court last week seeking a non-bailable warrant after he did not respond to the summons. The court had sent letters of rogatory to Singapore and Mauritius, seeking assistance from authorities there in the case. The ED had also investigated the allegation that payment of Rs425 crore had been made in an unauthorized manner under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. On the 5th of August 2015 the court has issued an arrest Warrant against Modi.