Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, has directed the country’s Citizenship Commission to cancel the Vanuatu passport issued to former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner, Lalit Modi, after recent international media reports. According to the Vanuatu Daily Post, the decision followed claims that Modi was evading extradition to India.
The cancellation comes after reports suggested Modi’s avoidance of extradition, although the application for a Vanuatu passport had been processed following a standard background check. The Prime Minister’s office clarified that since Interpol had twice rejected requests for alerts on Modi, there were no criminal convictions found during the background check, allowing his passport request to proceed.
Modi, who left India in 2010 amid investigations for alleged financial misconduct, including bid-rigging and money laundering, has remained outside India since then. He is accused of violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). On March 7, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed awareness of Modi’s application to surrender his Indian passport and reiterated their commitment to pursuing legal action against him.
In response to media reports regarding his Vanuatu citizenship, Modi posted on social media, claiming that no legal case was pending against him in India and dismissing accusations as “fake news.”
Lalit Modi, who is currently based in London, had sought to surrender his Indian passport after acquiring Vanuatu citizenship. The Vanuatu Prime Minister stressed that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right, and must be sought for legitimate reasons.