Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jitoth Napat on Monday directed the Citizenship Commission to cancel the passport released to former Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi, saying that Lalit Modi is a fugitive and is trying to avoid his extradition.
On March 7, Lalit Modi filed an application for ‘handing over’ his Indian passport at the Indian High Commission in London. It is reported that he has acquired citizenship of South Prashant Dvarashtra Vanuatu. He quit India in 2010 was direction and is believed to be living in London.
Napat has directed the Citizenship Commission to initiate immediate action and cancel Lalit Modi’s passport. The Prime Minister issued a statement in this regard, saying, “I have ordered the Citizenship Commission to start the process of cancellation of Lalit Modi’s Vanuatu passport immediately. I have received information in the last 24 hours that Interpol has rejected the request of Indian officials twice, seeking to issue an alert notice on Modi.”
Prime Minister Napat also said that any such alert will dismiss Lalit Modi’s citizenship application himself. The Vanuatu government has taken this step about the issue as many investigations are going on against Lalit Modi, and his citizenship case is being reconsidered after Interpol has not issued a notice.
Earlier, on Friday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that Lalit Modi had applied to submit his passport to the Indian High Commission in London. He also informed that Modi has gained citizenship of Vanuatu, and the investigation of the case against him will continue under the legal process.