In a development that provided a new dimension to the ongoing slugfest between the Opposition and the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre over the lalitgate, a special court on Wednesday issued a Non-bailable Warrant (NBW) against former IPl chief lalit Modi in connection with a money laundering case filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Special Judge PR Bhavake allowed an application moved by the ED seeking the issuance of the NBW against lalit Modi, after the former IPl chief did not respond to the summons issued to him.
Informed ED sources said that the ED would forward the NBW issued by the Special court to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which would in turn forward the papers to the United Kingdom for serving the warrant on lalit Modi.
As per the comprehensive guidelines formulated by it in February 2009, the MHA will make the most of Section 105 of CrPC that deals with reciprocal arrangements to be made by the Central Government in certain matters with the foreign Governments for serving the warrant on lalit Modi.
India has entered into Mutual legal Assistance Treaty (MlAT)/arrangements with 22 countries, including United Kingdom, US, Switzerland, Singapore and Mauritius.
Under the MlAT, the MHA will send the warrant issued by the court against Modi to the Indian Embassy in london which will take up the issue with the Government of United Kingdom for serving the warrant against the former IPl chief.
The issuance of NBW against him comes at a time when the Congress-led Opposition is mounting pressure on the BJP-led NDA Government to bring back lalit Modi to India to face a trial for allegations of kickback, money laundering and tax evasion made against him in connection with the awarding of broadcast rights of the IPl in 2009.
If it wants to blunt the Opposition’s allegation that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had helped “fugitive” lalit Modi get emergency travel papers from the UK Government, the Modi Government will have no other way but to pursue with the British authorities for early service of NBW on Modi.