Delhi High Court sets aside all orders against Lalit Modi, restores passport

Mumbai: In a judgement passed by the division bench of the Delhi High Court comprising the Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru on Wednesday set aside all orders against Lalit Modi – the founder and chief architect of the Indian Premier League and the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and restored his passport and also paving the way for Modi’s return to India.



Restoring Modi’s passport, the bench said that the revocation order was invalid and the same failed to clear the test laid out in Menaka Gandhi's case for revocation of a passport. Further, the bench said the order revoking Lalit Modi's passport was invalid as it was influenced by materials which were extraneous and irrelevant and no serious issue was disclosed which could justify revocation of the passport. The bench noted that Modi had provided all the documents sought for and had offered to be examined by video conference and therefore the order of revocation was not lawful .

The bench also said there is a specific procedure and statutory provisions for default or non-compliance of summonses under FEMA and revocation of his passport for such default on the ground that it was in the interest of general public was not lawful.


Commenting on the judgement passed by the division bench of the Delhi High Court, Lalit Modi, Founder & Chief Architect of the IPL and President Rajasthan Cricket Association said, “It has been a long and hard fight and today, I stand vindicated. I have always believed in our legal system and finally justice has prevailed. Virtually every case that was based on falsehoods has not been able to stand up to our legal system and for that I am thankful. I have always maintained that I am keen to return to India and return I will sooner rather than later. But I will continue to fight the good fight for the sake of cleansing our beloved game of cricket and everything that continues to ail it.”


Lalit Modi was earlier this year elected the President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. With this verdict and the restoration of his passport, there is no impediment against Mr. Lalit Modi returning to India.


Earlier this year in February, the Division Bench of Bombay High Court had also set aside the opinion formed by the ED (Enforcement Directorate) to hold adjudication proceedings against Lalit Modi. The bench comprising Justice Vajifdar and Justice Collabawala has allowed the same on two counts. The two counts being, the violation of principles of natural justice whereby much of the documents relied upon by the agency were not supplied and the opinion rendered was wholly unreasoned. The court then had given an option to the ED to issue a fresh show cause notice, which was not done.