Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has pushed back strongly against being described as a “fugitive”, arguing that the label has been driven more by media perception than by any legal finding against him.
Speaking to ANI in London, Modi said he has never been convicted in any case and dismissed suggestions that he is hiding from Indian authorities. He maintained that despite years of scrutiny and investigations, no criminal prosecution has resulted in a conviction against him.
“If I was running, you would be picking me up somewhere or the other. The Indian government has a long arm. You can’t take on the government of India. And I don’t intend to. It’s not the government. It’s the media,” Modi told ANI.
Lalit Modi disputes claims of being on the run
The former cricket administrator mocked the notion that he could evade Indian authorities while travelling internationally, saying such a scenario was unrealistic given India’s global reach and legal mechanisms.
Modi also criticised what he described as media trials, claiming public perception of him had been shaped by years of reporting rather than court rulings.
“You have no libel in your country, in our country. You can say what you want, and I sell news,” he said.
Former IPL chief cites lack of criminal conviction
Modi’s remarks come against the backdrop of multiple legal and regulatory proceedings linked to his tenure as IPL chairman and his departure from India in 2010.
Over the years, he has faced allegations related to bid-rigging, money laundering and violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). However, he argued that the absence of a completed prosecution after years of investigations raises questions about the allegations levelled against him.
“Not a single case against me has been registered. If I have been so bad, and everybody says I’ve been so bad, OK, please, guys, go out and prosecute me,” he said.
Modi also criticised the pace of India’s judicial process, saying delayed proceedings can themselves become a form of punishment.
“It never gets heard in our country. Justice comes. I don’t know when it comes. The slow justice is a punishment as well,” he added.
No plans to return to India to prove a point
Asked whether he intends to return to India and fight the allegations in person, Modi indicated that he no longer feels compelled to do so.
“There was a time when I did want to come back. And I had all the reasons to come back. Come back and do what?… I don’t need to prove to anybody,” he said.
Questioning the basis for any possible detention, Modi added that authorities would have had to take him to court long ago if there was sufficient evidence against him.
“Arrest you want to do, you have to take me to court. Seventeen years you haven’t taken me to court. How can you arrest me today? If there was something there, it would be out,” he said.
ED probe and extradition efforts continue
Even as Modi contests the allegations and the narrative surrounding his departure from India, investigations into alleged financial irregularities linked to his IPL tenure remain under the scanner of Indian authorities.
According to ANI, the Enforcement Directorate is investigating allegations of financial misconduct, money laundering and unauthorised fund transfers. The Ministry of External Affairs is also pursuing extradition-related procedures under applicable Indian and international legal frameworks.