Finally Lalit Modi is left with nothing rather than being arrest. Mumbai court on Wednesday issued a non bail-able warrant against Lalit Modi who was former commissioner of the IPL. This was done in an ongoing money laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). As a petition was filed by ED seeking a non bail-able warrant against Lalit Modi, in connection with a criminal investigation.

The case was moved to court on July 27 after Lalit Modi failed to respond to summons issued by ED in a case registered against him. Sessions court judge PR Bhavake said it was a strong case to issue warrant as Lalit Modi didn’t respond to the agency despite being summoned three times for the investigation. This Non Bail-able warrant helps ED to issue a red corner notice against Lalit Modi as he is out of UK.

The court on Wednesday has taken into consideration that, Lalit Modi did not responded to summons in other old cases under Foreign Exchange Management Act. As the agency summoned Lalit Modi to appear within 15 days and the deadline was over, the summons were also served to Lalit Modi through his Mumbai solicitors and email but there was no response from the other side.

Hence ED in court contended that Lalit Modi is a “potential accused” and under the law a designated court has the power to issue a non bail-able warrant for the purpose of investigation. Arguing before the court, the ED said it wanted to arrest Mr. Lalit Modi, who fled to London five years ago to escape prosecution, to question him in light of some new evidence and for his refusal to heed the summons.

The PMLA case against Lalit Modi is based on a criminal complaint filed by the BCCI in 2010, accusing him of misuse of funds during his tenure as IPL chief. The ED’s petition also said Lalit Modi caused loss of crores of rupees in a transaction where he was appointed “without any written contract and without following any tender process” for exploiting the time between deliveries for ad rights.

Thus all these are the considerations by the Mumbai court for issuing the Non Bail-able warrant to Lalit Modi.