Chinmay Kore
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- 15 Mar 2015
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi via email, intensifying its investigation into the money-laundering case. Officials stated that as it's a criminal investigation, the ED is not restricted to complete the summons formalities. Officials indicated that they are free to approach the court at any point of time, to issue a non-bailable warrant against Modi.
The agency has started discussing its options after it failed to get a reply from Modi over the summons sent to his personal email ID on Tuesday night. Earlier, the ED had issued summons to Modi through his Mumbai-based counsel. But the summons was returned. The counsel stated that there were no instructions from Modi authorizing them to collect the summons in the money-laundering case. The counsel is representing Modi only in the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case, also being investigated by the ED.
The agency then decided to email the summons to Modi's personal account, through which he has been communicating with his contacts.
The ED had earlier decided to issue the summons to Modi's London address, but is yet to take a final decision. There are many technicalities involved, as the agency has to serve the summons to Modi in London through a government authority there, which will delay the probe, officials said. "It's a criminal case investigation, the ED can approach the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against Modi, in case of non-compliance of summons," said an officer.
The ED has registered a money-laundering case based on a complaint filed by former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan against Modi in Chennai. A person convicted in a money-laundering case can face imprisonment of up to seven years.
According to the complaint, BCCI had awarded IPL's media rights to World Sports Group (WSG) initially for 10 years in 2009. Later, it awarded the rights to Multi Screen Media (MSM), which was made to pay Rs 425 crore to WSG for relinquishing the rights. Officials, however, said there was no agreement between BCCI and WSG, and WSG had no right to relinquish it.
Modi allegedly received Rs 125 crore as kickbacks in the transaction. The companies involved allegedly transferred Rs 125 crore to Mauritius and then to Singapore, from where the money went into Modi's account, the complaint alleged.
[COPYRIGHT SIGN] TNN
The agency has started discussing its options after it failed to get a reply from Modi over the summons sent to his personal email ID on Tuesday night. Earlier, the ED had issued summons to Modi through his Mumbai-based counsel. But the summons was returned. The counsel stated that there were no instructions from Modi authorizing them to collect the summons in the money-laundering case. The counsel is representing Modi only in the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case, also being investigated by the ED.
The agency then decided to email the summons to Modi's personal account, through which he has been communicating with his contacts.
The ED had earlier decided to issue the summons to Modi's London address, but is yet to take a final decision. There are many technicalities involved, as the agency has to serve the summons to Modi in London through a government authority there, which will delay the probe, officials said. "It's a criminal case investigation, the ED can approach the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against Modi, in case of non-compliance of summons," said an officer.
The ED has registered a money-laundering case based on a complaint filed by former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan against Modi in Chennai. A person convicted in a money-laundering case can face imprisonment of up to seven years.
According to the complaint, BCCI had awarded IPL's media rights to World Sports Group (WSG) initially for 10 years in 2009. Later, it awarded the rights to Multi Screen Media (MSM), which was made to pay Rs 425 crore to WSG for relinquishing the rights. Officials, however, said there was no agreement between BCCI and WSG, and WSG had no right to relinquish it.
Modi allegedly received Rs 125 crore as kickbacks in the transaction. The companies involved allegedly transferred Rs 125 crore to Mauritius and then to Singapore, from where the money went into Modi's account, the complaint alleged.
[COPYRIGHT SIGN] TNN
