Special PMLA court issues non-bailable arrest warrant against former IPL chief Lalit Modi

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act  (PMLA) on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former IPL chief Lalit Modi in connection with money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate's had moved the court last week seeking a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Modi after he did not respond to the summons sent to him.

On Tuesday, special judge P R Bhavake sought to know why the agency was not arresting him and whether a warrant can be issued during the investigation.

ED's lawyer Hiten Venegoankar had said Lalit Modi was not available in India, hence an NBW should be issued. Modi had not complied with the summonses issued to him since 2009, he claimed.

Last month, the court had issued letters rogatory (LR) to Singapore and Mauritius, seeking assistance from authorities there in the case. BCCI registered an FIR in Chennai against Modi in 2010. In 2008, the cricket body had awarded 10-year media rights to WSG for $918 million. WSG then entered into a deal with MSM to make Sony the official broadcaster. The contract was replaced later with a nine-year deal where MSM paid WSG USD 1.63 billion.

In 2009, ED started a probe under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to investigate the allegation that payment of Rs 425 crore facilitation fee by MSM Singapore to WSG Mauritius had been made in an unauthorised manner.