'Looking forward to return India': Lalit Modi after tribunal quashes ED penalties in 2009 IPL case

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi said on Wednesday (July 22) that he was "really looking forward" to coming back to India after an appellate tribunal overturned major findings that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) imposed against him in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case connected to the 2009 IPL season held in South Africa.

"I am really looking forward to returning to India after a long time. Stay well and stay safe," Modi posted on X. An appellate tribunal in New Delhi has sidelined a penalty order issued by the ED against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi and some others in a FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) case which is connected to hosting of the 2009 T20 cricket tournament in South Africa.

Tribunal upheld appellants' challenge

Functioning under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Forfeiture of Property Act (SAFEMA), the tribunal partially upheld the appellants' challenge to a May 31, 2018 order issued by the ED's special director, which had penalised them for multiple FEMA violations, and in doing so, struck down both the ED's findings and the penalties imposed.

Falsifying the main investigation plank of ED about the nature of the transactions, prompting alleged FEMA violations, the tribunal said: "We have considered the submissions... and find that if, in a given case, the payment towards the service was made from time to time and that too without budgeting, then, according to the respondent (ED), it would fall in the definition of 'Capital Account Transaction'. We are unable to accept the argument advanced by the respondent (ED)."

Reacting to the ruling on Tuesday, Lalit Modi welcomed the decision, saying the Tribunal had dismissed the core basis on which the ED had built its case against him, and that this effectively brings closure to what had been the most significant legal issue stemming from the South Africa-hosted IPL in 2009. His willingness to return is likely to bring new attention to the legal proceedings and controversies connected with him over the years.

Who is Lalit Modi?

Lalit Modi is credited with founding the Indian Premier League (IPL) and serving as its inaugural chairman, driving the tournament's rise into one of cricket's most prominent global leagues. However, controversy marred his time at the helm; in 2013, BCCI imposed a lifetime ban on him following disciplinary action over alleged misconduct.

He remains a polarising figure, remembered both for his role in the IPL's early rise and for the governance disputes that followed. His downfall stemmed from accusations of corruption, conflicts of interest, and financial irregularities, including controversies tied to franchise bidding and broadcasting deals. The BCCI subsequently expelled him from the organisation and imposed a lifetime ban on him holding any position in cricket administration.