Vanuatu PM orders cancellation of Lalit Modi's passport after media revelations
Port Vila: Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat has ordered the cancellation of the Vanuatu passport issued to former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi. The directive came on Monday, two days after Modi surrendered his Indian passport to acquire Vanuatu citizenship.
According to an official statement, Napat instructed the Citizenship Commission to revoke Modi’s passport following recent international media reports.
"While all standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, showed no criminal convictions at the time of his application, I have been made aware in the past 24 hours that Interpol twice rejected Indian authorities' requests to issue an alert notice on Mr Modi due to lack of substantive judicial evidence. Any such alert would have led to an automatic rejection of his citizenship application," the statement read.
Napat stressed that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right, and that citizenship must be sought for legitimate reasons. "None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts clearly indicate was Mr Modi’s intention," he added.
Indian authorities continue pursuing case against Modi
On Friday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Modi had applied to surrender his Indian passport at the Indian High Commission in London.
"Lalit Modi 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. We are also given to understand that he has acquired citizenship of Vanuatu. We continue to pursue the case against him as required under law," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Modi is wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies over allegations of financial irregularities amounting to crores of rupees during his tenure as IPL chairman.
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Bengaluru: PUC student dies by suicide, hours after results were declared
Bengaluru (PTI): A second-year Pre-University Course student allegedly died by suicide at her residence here, hours after the exam results were announced, police said on Friday.
Tanushree (17), a science student, reportedly failed in three subjects, which is suspected to be the trigger behind her taking such an extreme step, they said.
However, no suicide note was recovered from the spot, except her hall ticket, which was found lying on the bed.
According to police, the incident came to light on Thursday around 3.30 pm, shortly after the results were announced.
She hung herself from the ceiling fan when no one was at home. Her mother had gone to work, a senior police officer said.
Citing preliminary inquiry, the officer said it is a clear-cut case of suicide. She was apparently distressed over failing in three subjects and had also called her friends to discuss the same.
When she did not respond to their calls and messages later, her friends decided to check on her, he said.
Based on her mother's complaint, a case of unnatural death has been filed, with Hebbal police investigation indicating it to be a case of suicide, police added.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
