In a major setback to controversial former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, a Mumbai Special Court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him for alleged involvement in a money-laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
ED moved the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act - PMLA court in Mumbai seeking a non-bailable warrant after Modi did not respond to the summons sent to him. ED’s lawyer Hiten Venegoankar claimed Lali Modi was not available in India and had not complied with the summonses issued to him since 2009.
Experts, however, pointed out that extradition of Lalit Modi would be a long drawn battle. Parliament was facing logjam since the beginning of the ongoing Monsoon session over the LalitGate issue. The Opposition had been demanding the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for being alleged allies of Lalit Modi.
Sources said the principal Opposition Congress may allow the House to function normally in the last lap after the warrant was issued against Lalit Modi. Some of the third front parties have been trying to act as a bridge between the government and main Opposition to end the logjam.
While Raje was <g data-gr-id="41">charged of</g> being a business partner of former IPL boss, Swaraj was <g data-gr-id="42">charged of</g> facilitating travel papers for Lalit Modi from England to Portugal. The Foreign Minister’s husband Swaraj Kaushal had been an attorney for Lalit Modi and so had been their daughter Bansuri. The case against Modi was related to the 2008 deal between World Sports Group and Multi Screen Media for television rights of Indian Premier League worth Rs 425 crore.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday as soon as the Lok Sabha met several Opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party, NCP and RJD members demanded revocation of suspension of 25 Congress members. Tariq Anwar, Supriya Sule, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav raised the suspension issue and shouted slogans. But Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not heed to their demand. Later, all the members staged a walkout from the House.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on the Lalit Modi controversy with the agitated Congress members continuously demanding the resignation of top BJP leaders including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The House was adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session on the same issue. When the House met at 2 pm after the second adjournment, Congress members entered raising slogans. In reply, some of the BJP members also raised counter-slogans.