Trouble for Lalit Modi as Vanuatu PM orders cancellation of IPL founder's passport

The cancellation order has been passed by Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat.

"I have instructed the citizenship commission to immediately begin proceedings to cancel Lalit Modi's Vanuatu passport," said Napat.

"While all standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, conducted during his application showed no criminal convictions, 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 triggered an automatic rejection of Mr Modi's citizenship application," the Prime Minister added.

Stating the Vanuatu passport is a "privilege" and not a "right", the PM added, "None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light clearly indicate was Mr Modi's intention."

Meanwhile, Modi has recently applied to surrender his Indian passport.

He had filed an application before the Indian High Commission in London after getting the citizenship of the Pacific Island nation, The Times of India reported.

Modi, who had first conceived the idea of an international standard domestic tournament like IPL, was the chairman and commissioner of the tournament in the first three editions from 2008-2010.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) banned Modi for life in 2013 on the charges of misconduct, indiscipline and financial irregularities.