ED says summons to Lalit returned, his lawyer disputes claim

Lalit Modi’s lawyer has returned the summons issued to the former IPL boss by the Enforcement Directorate seeking his presence before it in three weeks, <g data-gr-id="21">maintaing</g> he was not authorised to receive it, the Central agency said on Tuesday.

Mumbai-based advocate Mehmood M Abdi, who represents Modi, however, said he had not received any such summons.

“I have not <g data-gr-id="19">recieved</g> any such summons,” Abdi said, describing media reports in this regard as “<g data-gr-id="20">baselss</g> and misleading.”

“ED has Mr Modi’s address in the UK. They are required to serve him as per the procedure prescribed in law,” Abdi said, disputing the central agency’s claim.

“Reports prominently appeared in a section (of) media that summons issued by ED under PMLA to former IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Kumar Modi has been served on me is baseless and misleading,” Abdi said in a statement.

The ED had last Friday issued <g data-gr-id="31">summons</g> to Modi through his lawyer in a money-laundering case registered against him here, seeking his presence at its office within three weeks. “It has been returned by his lawyer who said he was not authorised by Lalit Modi to receive it,” said an ED officer, adding the agency may now move court seeking issuance of non-bailable arrest warrant against the former IPL chief.