Lalit Modi: In a surprising move, just hours after Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat ordered the cancellation of Lalit Modi’s passport, the former IPL chairman took to social media to share stunning photos of the island nation, describing it as a “heavenly country.” Modi, undeterred by the growing legal challenges surrounding his citizenship status, encouraged people to visit Vanuatu, calling it a tranquil escape from the chaos of urban life. He wrote, “Vanuatu is a beautiful country. You must put it on your bucket list. Away from all the pollution and noise. Truly heavenly country.”
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Napat had issued an official directive to the Citizenship Commission to revoke Modi’s passport, citing suspicions that the ex-cricket administrator was using his Vanuatu citizenship as a means to evade extradition back to India. Modi, who fled India in 2010, has been residing in London ever since.
In a further complication to the matter, Modi had filed a request on March 7 with the Indian High Commission in London to formally surrender his Indian passport, adding more layers to an already complex case. However, with the recent order from the Vanuatu government to cancel his passport, his once-secure status in the island nation now seems uncertain.
Adding to the intrigue, the situation is made even more complicated by Interpol’s rejection of two separate requests from Indian authorities to issue a Red Corner Notice against Modi. Despite India’s repeated attempts to seek his extradition, Interpol dismissed the requests, citing insufficient legal evidence against him. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister noted that all standard background checks, including those conducted by Interpol, did not reveal any criminal convictions during Modi’s citizenship application process. The PM also expressed concern over the rejection of the requests, mentioning that he had only been made aware of the issue in the last 24 hours.
As Modi’s legal battles continue to unfold, it remains to be seen how this passport cancellation and the ongoing extradition proceedings will affect his future. For now, he remains in Vanuatu, a country that was once considered a safe haven but is now at the center of this high-profile diplomatic and legal drama.