Lalit Modi, the controversial founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has approached a court in Vanuatu to contest the cancellation of his newly acquired passport.
The move comes after Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jotham Napat ordered the Citizenship Commission to revoke Modi’s citizenship on March 10, 2025, accusing him of using it to evade extradition from India. This legal battle adds another chapter to Modi’s ongoing saga as a fugitive wanted for alleged financial misconduct.
Modi, who has been living abroad since 2010, claims the cancellation was unjust and politically motivated. This move marks a new chapter in his ongoing legal battles, as he seeks to retain his citizenship and travel freedom in the Pacific island nation.
On March 11, 2025, the saga of Lalit Modi, once the flamboyant architect of the IPL, took a fresh twist as he filed a legal challenge in a Vanuatu court against the cancellation of his passport by the island nation’s government. This development follows a swift and decisive move by Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jotham Napat, who, just a day earlier, instructed the country’s Citizenship Commission to strip Modi of his citizenship, citing his alleged intent to dodge extradition to India, where he faces serious charges of financial fraud, money laundering, and bid-rigging. Modi, who has been living in London since fleeing India in 2010, is now fighting to retain his Vanuatu citizenship, a status he reportedly acquired through the nation’s Citizenship by Investment Programme after surrendering his Indian passport earlier this month.
The backdrop to this legal showdown is as intriguing as it is complex. Modi, a polarizing figure in the world of cricket and business, has been a fugitive from Indian law enforcement for over a decade. Accused of embezzling crores of rupees during his tenure as IPL chairman, along with violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and orchestrating unauthorized fund transfers, Modi has consistently denied the allegations. His decision to surrender his Indian passport at the Indian High Commission in London on March 7, 2025, and acquire Vanuatu citizenship appeared to be a calculated move to secure a new legal identity. However, this plan hit a roadblock when Napat, acting on “recent revelations in international media” and pressure from Indian authorities, ordered the cancellation of Modi’s Vanuatu passport.
Modi wasted no time in responding. On March 10, even as the cancellation order made headlines, he posted pictures of himself in Vanuatu on social media, praising the island nation as a “beautiful country” and a “truly heavenly” escape from pollution and noise. Accompanying these posts was a defiant message quoting a report from VBTC News, which suggested that the chairman of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission, Charles Maniel, might delay the cancellation process pending a court ruling. “The chairman of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission said his office would wait for the outcome of the court before making a decision on Mr. Lalit Modi as a Ni-Vanuatu,” Modi wrote on X, signaling his intent to fight the revocation tooth and nail.
Vanuatu, a picturesque archipelago of over 80 islands in the South Pacific, has long offered a lucrative “golden passport” scheme, allowing wealthy individuals to purchase citizenship for a non-refundable donation of at least $130,000 (approximately ₹1.3 crore). For Modi, this program represented a lifeline—an opportunity to secure a new nationality and potentially avoid extradition to India, which has no extradition treaty with Vanuatu. Unlike the United Kingdom, where Modi has resided for years and which does have an extradition agreement with India, Vanuatu offered a jurisdictional shield. However, Napat’s intervention has thrown this strategy into jeopardy, with the Prime Minister asserting that “holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right,” and that using it to evade justice is unacceptable.
The Vanuatu government’s decision to cancel Modi’s passport was not made in isolation. Reports indicate that Indian authorities, through diplomatic channels, pressed Vanuatu to act. India’s High Commission in New Zealand, which oversees relations with Vanuatu due to the absence of a direct diplomatic mission, is believed to have played a key role. Sources suggest that Neeta Bhushan, India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, was instrumental in conveying details of Modi’s case to Vanuatu officials. This diplomatic push came after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on March 7 that Modi had applied to surrender his Indian passport, adding that it would continue to pursue legal action against him “as required under law.”
Napat’s official statement shed light on the reasoning behind the cancellation. He noted that standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, conducted during Modi’s citizenship application showed no criminal convictions. However, he revealed that in the 24 hours leading up to his decision, he learned that Interpol had twice rejected India’s requests to issue an alert notice against Modi due to insufficient “substantive judicial evidence.” While this might have initially cleared the way for Modi’s citizenship, Napat argued that the fugitive’s intent to avoid extradition—uncovered through recent media reports—disqualified him from retaining the privilege of a Vanuatu passport.
Modi’s legal challenge in Vanuatu now hinges on whether the court will uphold the Citizenship Commission’s authority to revoke his passport or grant him a reprieve. His social media posts suggest optimism, as he highlighted the commission chairman’s apparent willingness to await judicial proceedings. This could delay the cancellation process, giving Modi time to bolster his case. Legal experts speculate that Modi may argue that the revocation lacks due process or that the allegations of extradition evasion are unsubstantiated, especially given Interpol’s reluctance to act against him.
For India, the stakes are high. Modi’s cancellation of his Indian passport and potential loss of Vanuatu citizenship could render him stateless, complicating his legal status in the UK, where he has lived since 2010. Without a valid passport, he risks becoming an illegal resident, potentially opening the door for extradition proceedings. Indian authorities have made multiple unsuccessful attempts to bring him back over the years, and this latest development could be a breakthrough in their long-standing pursuit.
Meanwhile, Modi remains defiant. In a post on X dated March 8, he claimed, “No court of law in India has a case pending against me personally. It’s only media fiction. Fifteen years have gone. But they keep saying we are going after me—more than welcome to. But first file an application for any wrongdoing.” This assertion contrasts sharply with the Enforcement Directorate’s ongoing probe into his alleged financial irregularities, including a ₹425-crore television rights deal with World Sports Group in 2009, which triggered his initial flight from India.
The Vanuatu court case is poised to be a defining moment in Modi’s tumultuous journey. If he succeeds, he could retain his foothold in the island nation and continue to evade Indian authorities. If he loses, his options may narrow significantly, forcing him to confront the legal battles he has dodged for over a decade. For now, the world watches as this high-stakes drama unfolds in a tropical paradise far removed from the cricket fields where Modi once reigned supreme.
As of today, March 11, 2025, the outcome remains uncertain. Modi’s supporters see him as a victim of overzealous prosecution, while his critics view him as a fugitive finally facing justice. Whatever the court decides, one thing is clear: Lalit Modi’s knack for staying in the spotlight—whether through cricket, controversy, or courtroom clashes—shows no signs of fading.
