Politics
Vanuatu Revokes Lalit Modi’s Passport Amid Extradition Evasion Concerns
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, just told the country’s Citizenship Commission to yank Lalit Modi’s passport—the guy who kicked off the IPL—because it looks like he was trying to dodge extradition.
What’s Modi’s Deal?
Lalit Modi’s been on India’s radar for ages, ever since he bolted in 2010. They’re after him for stuff like bid-rigging, money laundering, and breaking some forex law called FEMA from ‘99. He’s been chilling overseas since, probably thinking he’s out of reach.
Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment Program
Vanuatu’s got this Citizenship by Investment thing where you fork over some cash—about $155,000 for one person—and boom, you’re a citizen. It’s a big money-maker for them, pulling in nearly a third of their income. They’re supposed to run tight checks, like Interpol scans, to keep the shady types out.
How It All Fell Apart
Modi’s background check came up clean—no convictions, anyway—but then word got out that Interpol shot down India’s requests for an alert on him. Twice. Not enough hard evidence, they said. That kept his application from getting auto-tossed. Napat wasn’t having it, though. He’s like, “This is a privilege, not a free pass. You don’t get to use our passport to hide from the law.” Sounds like he thinks Modi’s whole plan was to duck India’s heat.
Tightening the Screws
Vanuatu’s been beefing up its vetting game lately. Triple-agency checks, Interpol digs—the works. More folks are getting rejected now thanks to their Financial Intelligence Unit sniffing around harder. Guess they’re serious about not being a bolt-hole for fugitives.
Modi Ditches His Indian Passport
Before this mess blew up, Modi rocked up to the Indian High Commission in London to hand over his Indian passport. He’d already snagged Vanuatu citizenship by then. India’s Ministry of External Affairs was like, “Cool, we’ll look at it, but we’re still coming for him.”
What It Means
Vanuatu pulling Modi’s passport is a loud “nope” to anyone thinking they can game the system. It’s a signal they’re not here to be a hideout for people dodging court dates back home. Keeps their citizenship gig looking legit on the world stage.
