Lalit Modi’s plea against passport revocation dismissed

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday dismissed the appeal of suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi challenging the revocation of his passport.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher dismissed the plea of Modi, who is facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into allegations of financial irregularities.

The regional passport office in Mumbai had revoked Modi’s passport March 3, 2010, following the ED probe.

Dismissing Modi’s appeal filed in April 2010, Joint Secretary Muktesh K. Pardeshi had said: “The Enforcement Directorate, being an arm of the government and the designated agency to go into the question of violation of provision of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, is competent to make recommendation to the passport issuing authority to revoke the passport of an individual on the basis of investigation conducted by that agency”.

“The Mumbai passport office order has not violated any principle of natural justice because appellant (Modi) was informed of the proposed action and was given sufficient and even additional time to explain his side,” said Pardeshi in his Oct 31, 2010, reply.

The plea filed by Modi also sought quashing of the order of the passport authorities.

The ED had made a request to Regional Passport Office in Mumbai that Modi be either called back or his passport be revoked. Modi is in Britain now.

IANS 2013-01-16 20:52:04