India seeks banking info of Lalit Modi, wife Minal

NEW DELHI/BERNE: As India steps up its crackdown on suspected black money stashed abroad, Switzerland has issued public notices to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and his wife Minal following requests made by Indian authorities about Swiss bank details of the couple.

In its latest federal gazette notification on assistance sought by foreign jurisdictions under bilateral treaties for exchange of information on matters concerning suspected financial irregularities, Switzerland’s Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has named Lalit and Minal Modi (alias Minalini Modi) among such individuals.

The former IPL commissioner, who is said to have left India for London in 2010, is already facing a money-laundering probe also, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

The two separate notifications dated October 1 did not disclose any further details, besides giving Lalit and Minal Modi ten days’ time to designate authorised persons to respond to the assistance request received by the FTA from India.

Interestingly, similar notices were issued against the two in 2016, but it could not be ascertained whether the Swiss authorities eventually shared the details with India in that case.

That time also, the two were given time for “exercise of the right to be heard”.

In recent months, several other Indian nationals have been named in such notifications after Indian authorities approached the Swiss FTA for information about those people concerning the pending tax-related probes against them.