Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi is in the news again, this time, it is not for his short-lived romance with actress and beauty queen, Sushmita Sen.
According to reports, Modi has applied to surrender his Indian passport at the Indian High Commission in London, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement to PTI, “He has made an application for surrendering his passport in the High Commission of India, London. The same will be examined in light of extant rules and procedures.”
It has also been confirmed that Modi has acquired citizenship of Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation.
Modi, who left India in 2010, resided in London for over a decade and is facing legal scrutiny over allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure as the IPL chief. He remains wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies over allegations of embezzlement worth crores of rupees. Indian authorities have been pursuing the case against him “as required under law,” Jaiswal added.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, he appears to be enjoying his time abroad. Recently, he shared photos of himself vacationing in Monaco with his new partner, prompting netizens to tease him in the comments, with many asking, “Where is Sush?” in reference to his past relationship with actress Sushmita Sen.
Modi and Sen had a brief romance which he gushed about on social media. While Sush stayed mum about the romance, Lalit famously took to his handle to profess his love for the actress.