Lalit Modi announces he has acquired British citizenship

Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi, who has had a number of cases and investigations against him in India, announced over the weekend that he had become a British citizen. The loss of Indian citizenship – which is automatic when one accepts the citizenship of another country – further complicates the process of extraditing Mr. Modi to India.

Mr. Modi announced on X that he had been naturalised as a British citizen on September 20.

New Delhi has repeatedly pressed the U.K. for the return of Mr. Modi, along with others such as diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and entrepreneur Vija Mallya, to India to face legal proceedings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made requests to his (then) British counterpart Keir Starmer for the return of “economic offenders and fugitives” in July 2025, when he visited the U.K., according to a government readout of their meeting.

Mr. Lalit Modi announced his new citizenship status in person at the Oxford Union on Saturday (November 14, 2026), he said, noting that November 14 was also the birthday of King Charles III.

“Thank you to my family, friends and everyone who has been part of this journey, and to the Oxford Union for providing such a memorable occasion to share this news,” he said.

“The United Kingdom has been my home for many years,” he said.

Mr. Lalit Modi departed India in 2010.

He was accused in India of financial irregularities and money laundering, as well as violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), stemming from his time as the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the 2009-2010 period. A case against Mr. Lalit Modi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, based on an FIR filed by the Tamil Nadu police on October 13, 2010.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Mr. Lalit Modi in 2015 after he failed to respond to multiple summonses from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

On February 6, 2017, the ED requested the U.K. authorities to transfer Mr. Lalit Modi to India to face justice in relation to the non-bailable warrant. It used the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process for this.

In 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs said it would continue to pursue the case against Mr. Lalit Modi as per the law, reacting to the news that Mr. Lalit Modi had surrendered his Indian passport to the Indian High Commission in London following his acquisition of citizenship of Vanuatu. (The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Jothan Napat, subsequently ordered the cancellation of Mr. Lalit Modi’s passport and a probe into his citizenship).

Mr. Lalit Modi was also involved in a case relating to the shifting of the IPL tournament from India to South Africa in 2009. This happened due to security concerns around the general election and necessitated the transfer of funds from BCCI to Cricket South Africa. This process, the ED alleged, had involved violations of FEMA. Consequently, the ED imposed penalties on Mr. Lalit Modi in 2018. In July 2026, Mr. Lalit Modi had a legal victory when an appellate tribunal overturned the findings against him and set aside the penalties.

“My life’s journey has been shaped by different cultures and experiences, and I look forward to continuing to contribute positively to the country I proudly call home,” Mr. Lalit Modi said on X, regarding the acquisition of British citizenship.

Mr. Lalit Modi has repeatedly argued that he is not a “fugitive” because he has not been convicted in any case in India.