IPL founder Lalit Modi battles for his passport

New Delhi, Apr 5: Sacked IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs against its decision to revoke his passport for alleged foreign exchange violations.

His lawyer Mehmood Abdi told PTI that his client had filed an appeal before the Chief Passport Officer challenging revocation of his passport by Mumbai's Regional Passport office.

The Regional passport office in Mumbai had revoked Modi''s passport on Mar 3, this year following the Enforcement Directorate's probe into financial irregularities.

The appeal is expected to come up for hearing in due course of time. Modi is at present in London.

In his appeal, Modi said the revocation order was passed without jurisdiction and principles of natural justice had been denied to him. The appeal further states that the revocation order infringes upon his personal rights and liberty.

"The ED never recommended revocation of Modi's Passport. They only recommended impounding of the passport," Modi''s lawyer Mehmood Abdi said.

In his appeal, Modi has also sought stay on the revocation order until the appeal is heard and disposed of.

Eluding investigating agencies for last six months over allegations of foreign exchange violations, Modi's passport was revoked by the government in its bid to bring him back here from London.

The Enforcement Directorate-driven action was aimed at probing Modi in the allegation of violations of foreign exchange laws in the conduct of T-20 cricket tournaments.

The counsel had then termed government's action as "very strange and shocking".

According to Section 10 (3) (C) of The Passport Act, 1967, the government may order impounding "if the passport authority deems it necessary to do so in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations of India with any foreign country, or in the interest of the general public."

The ED has also issued an Interpol Blue Notice Alert for detention of suspended Indian Premier League chief.

PTI