Modi has the option of moving court

On a shaky wicket with his passport revoked, former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi has the option of filing an appeal against the revocation of his passport in a court that has jurisdiction over the Mumbai regional passport office.

Sources said that Modi could even move a court in the United Kingdom, where he currently is, saying he faces a threat to his life if he returns to India.

The regional passport office, Mumbai, revoked Modi’s passport on Thursday, following a request by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“If a passport is revoked and the person doesn’t have other documents such as the resident permit of a country his troubles are more immediate,” said a government official, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Sources in the Mumbai passport office said that a “due quasi-judicial process was followed” before revoking Modi’s passport.

To return to India, Modi will have to approach the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom for getting an emergency exit certificate that he can use as a travel document.

The ED had, in October 2010, requested the regional passport office to revoke Modi’s passport after it failed to make headway in the investigations in cases registered against him under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The ED claimed that Modi did not respond to the many summons it sent him for alleged FEMA violations. Modi wanted to be questioned via video conferencing.