Vanuatu Moves to Revoke Fugitive Lalit Modi’s Passport Amid Extradition Concerns

NEW DELHI: Vanuatu’s Prime Minister has ordered the cancellation of fugitive businessman Lalit Modi’s passport from the island nation, just days after the former Indian Premier League (IPL) boss sought to relinquish his Indian passport in London.

Prime Minister Jotham Napat has accused Modi of exploiting Vanuatu citizenship to dodge potential extradition to India. This crackdown follows recent media reports highlighting that Indian authorities are seeking Modi for alleged financial wrongdoing during his time leading the lucrative cricket league.

In a released statement, Prime Minister Napat confirmed he has instructed the Citizenship Commission to initiate the process of revoking Modi’s Vanuatu passport. He stated that while Modi’s application for citizenship underwent standard international checks, which initially showed no red flags, it has since come to light that global police body Interpol had twice rejected India’s requests for a formal alert against Modi.

This Interpol alert, had it been issued, would have automatically blocked Modi’s citizenship application. Prime Minister Napat emphasized that Vanuatu citizenship is a privilege, not a right, and should not be sought to evade legal processes. He asserted that recent information strongly suggests Modi’s intention was precisely to avoid extradition.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that Modi applied to surrender his Indian passport on March 7th. An MEA spokesperson stated that while this application is under review, they are aware of Modi’s Vanuatu citizenship and will continue to pursue legal action against him.