Lalit Modi

The ED’S move comes two weeks after the agency sent a request under the Indiauk Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), for Modi’s extradition to India, to its headquarters for approval.

The 1992 India-uk MLAT has a clause wherebythetreatycanbeinvokedinacriminal probe case, seeking the “transfer of persons, including persons in custody, for the purpose of assisting in investigations or giving evidence”.

In April, a special court in Mumbai had issued an order allowing ED to begin extradition proceedings against Modi in connection with the case registered by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The PMLA case is based on a criminalcomplaintfiledbybcciin2010,accusingmodiofmisappropriatingfundsduring his tenure as IPL chief.

ED has sought details from Modi on his roleinthedealbetweenworldsportsgroup, Mauritiusandmultiscreenmediasingapore. According to the ED petition, in 2008, BCCI awarded 10-year media rights to WSG India for $642 million and MSMS for $276 million forcertainregions.inmarch2009,moditerminated the contract with MSMS for violatingsomerulesandsignedafreshagreement with WSG Mauritius without following any tender process, it was alleged.

According to ED, Modi “was not authorised to terminate the media rights contract withmsms.”healsodidnotfollowanytender process or obtain approval from the IPL governing council for signing the deal with WSG Mauritius.

So far, ED has registered 16 cases against Modi. Of these, 15 are under provisions of Foreignexchangemanagementact(fema) and one under PMLA.

In August last year, ED had moved the Interpolforaredcornernoticeagainstmodi but the international police body is yet to take a decision on the case.