ED silent for 2 yrs on UK court's request for info on Lalit Modi

The enforcement directorate didn’t reply for over two years to a 2013 request by a London court seeking details of investigations against former-IPL chief Lalit Modi for alleged money laundering, documents accessed by HT show.

Sources say the agency – which tracks overseas transactions – is now preparing a reply to the UK request after a recent controversy involving top BJP leaders and Modi pushed the issue back into the limelight.

Agency officials have also recently been to Singapore and Mauritius to look into alleged deals made by the former cricket commissioner.

In July 2013, a London court asked the government to give details of the investigations that India wanted England to pursue in connection with the cash-rich IPL and the Board of Control of Cricket in India but the ED chose not to reply.

The court’s letter wanted India to include the names and addresses of parties involved in the proceedings and people or organisations to be examined or from whom evidence was to be obtained.

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“The senior master of the senior courts of England and Wales, Queen’s Bench Division, welcomes this opportunity to renew to the High Commission of India the assurance of his highest consideration,” the letter read, underlining the fact that England offered to cooperate in the probe.

England’s response was in reply to a request sent by India in May 2013, seeking evidence in investigations in connection with allegations of money laundering through the cash-rich Indian Premier League under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje have been the focus of Opposition attacks for weeks following allegations that they helped Modi secure UK travel documents.

Highly-placed sources said the ED is now sending a fresh letter rogatory, which is basically a document sent by an Indian Court seeking assistance from a foreign court.

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