05 March,2011 07:43 AM IST | | AFP
Indian authorities on Friday revoked the passport of former Indian Premier League supremo Lalit Modi, six months after he was ousted from running the lucrative tournament over graft allegations.
Lalit Modi
Modi, who now lives in London, faces criminal charges including false accounting, and accusations by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that more than 106 million dollars were misappropriated during IPL events.
The Press Trust of India news agency said that his passport was revoked in a government bid to force him to return to India over charges related to alleged foreign exchange violations, without further explaining the authorities' plans.
Modi founded the IPL in 2008 and his brash style came to personify the event, which revolutionised cricket with a money-spinning blend of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour.
But the annual tournament was soon dogged by allegations of massive corporate corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners and even links to India's criminal underworld.
Modi has consistently denied all accusations made against him and has vowed to fight to clear his name, saying he is available for questioning in Britain but will not return to India. He lashed out yesterday over the revoking of his passport, saying on Twitter: "Most corrupt Govt in the history of India.
If you can't get someone on your side, cancel their passport, threaten them, intimidate them. Mere allegations, investigation agencies have come up with zilch, but all asking for bribes to hush up case. When I said no, passport cancelled."
