New Delhi: In the first step by the Narendra Modi government against former Indian Premier league chief Lalit Modi, Enforcement Directorate officials have been sent to Singapore to expedite the probe against the cricket czar. Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje have been embroiled in the controversy involving the former IPL chief.
On Monday, the ED sent two letters seeking assistance- through the External Affairs Ministry - to Singapore and Mauritius under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for deals approved by Lalit Modi as IPL Chief in 2009. A money laundering investigation could provide grounds for a Red Corner Interpol notice for extradition against Modi.
Reports suggested that the ED will also be seeking assistance in the case from the United Kingdom, where Modi is presently staying.
An ED team from its Mumbai zonal office has been sent to Singapore but officials indicated they are part of an investigating team probing another case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
However, it is understood, the team could gather some important leads in connection with this deal case where the ED has recently showcaused, under foreign exchange violation laws, Modi and 13 other BCCI-Indian Premier League (IPL) officials and other private entities.
The two accused companies in this case are based in either country and hence an LR is aimed to help ED obtain more details about their transactions and international financial deals vis-a-vis IPL.
The money laundering case pertains to a complaint filed by former BCCI chief N Srinivasan in the same deal with Chennai Police in 2010 against Modi and others charging them with alleged embezzlement of funds and cheating the cricketing body in the awarding of telecast rights.
The ED registered its own criminal case under PMLA early this year and later carried out searches in Gurgaon and Delhi to probe this deal which it suspects generated tainted funds.
Agency sources have earlier indicated that this being the only criminal case against the IPL-BCCI and Modi, it is expected that based on the positive progress of this probe, ED sleuths may further seek to notify an Interpol Red Corner notice against the former IPL Chairman to make him join investigations after deporting him from his present address in the United Kingdom.
The ED, in its showcause issued in February this year under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in this case, has charged Modi of sending "fraud" emails and being a suspect beneficiary of Rs 125 crore illegal funds in connection with its Rs 425 crore forex violations probe for granting media rights of the T-20 tournament in 2009 by BCCI.
(With additional information from PTI)
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