Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has surrendered his Indian passport after acquiring citizenship of Vanuatu. His lawyer, Mehmood Abdi, confirmed the development, stating that the move was a legal requirement for individuals taking up citizenship in another country.

“Yes, it is right. Lalit Modi has put an application in the Indian High Commission in London to surrender his Indian passport because he has taken citizenship of Vanuatu. It is required for people taking citizenship in another country,” Abdi said. He further asserted that no charges have been filed against Modi in India despite years of scrutiny.

“They want to pursue the cases, but there is no case, in fact. All the cases that are being talked about in 18 years—no court has charged him, and there has been no chargesheet either by any agency,” Abdi added.

Following this, Lalit Modi took to social media to respond to speculation surrounding his legal status. In a strongly worded post, he denied any pending legal cases against him and accused the media of fabricating stories.

“True facts. No court of law in India has a case pending against me personally. It’s only media fiction. Fifteen years have gone, but they keep saying they are going after me—more than welcome to. But first file an application for ANY WRONGDOING instead of just imagining I have been charged with something wrong,” Modi wrote.

He further criticised media organizations for allegedly spreading “fake news” to boost readership and viewership.

“This is called #fakenews. In other words, keep creating fake news so you bolster your #readership or #viewership. The only thing that I have done single-handedly is create a globally loved product [IPL], which you lap up like there is no tomorrow. None of you thought of it, and I mean none of you can create or will ever create,” he added.

Lalit Modi, who played a pivotal role in the creation of the IPL in 2008, has been residing in London since 2010 after facing allegations of financial irregularities and money laundering. Despite multiple investigations by Indian agencies, no formal charges have been filed against him.

His decision to renounce his Indian citizenship comes amid continued discussions about his legal status and potential return to India. With his latest move, questions arise about the future course of action by Indian authorities and whether any legal proceedings will be initiated against him in the near future.