JOIN USDescribing the Sushma Swaraj-Lalit Modi controversy as a “political jamboree”, the lawyer of the former IPL commissioner on Monday night said that he is being hounded for political reasons.
“He is being hounded,” Mehmood M Abdi, the lawyer of the former cricket administrator, told a hurriedly-convened media interaction at a hotel in Mumbai.
Abdi, who is the General Council and Constituted Attorney for Modi, said the travel documents were granted for a humanitarian cause. “He is being called an offender, a fugitive....these are legal terms and cannot be used generously or liberally....it has to be declared by courts under Criminal Procedure Code....has any court said this? He is staying in the United Kingdom after informing everyone....the nation wants to know as to which court has declared him an offender (and fugitive),” he said and also said that the blue-corner notice against him was fabricated.
“We have a letter from the Interpol which says that no such notice was issued,” Abdi said, “The UPA government was after Lalit Modi…(the then) ministers were after him.”
The lawyer said “some people” were trying to destabilise a duly elected popular government and the whole issue was a “political jamboree”. “I am not a BJP-wallah....last one year is a scam-free year....this is not a scam at all....this is not an issue....and parallels are being drawn between Lalit Modi and Dawood Ibrahim,” he said.
“The entire (then) UPA government and top ministers were wrongly denying Lalit Modi his constitutional rights,” he alleged, pointing out that the issue was being blown out of proportion by vested interests.
Abdi said Modi has been hounded by the security agencies ever since he had tweeted about Sunanda Pushkar equity issue.
“It is a fact that his wife is suffering from cancer since past 17 years....and this is said by a top medico....People who have a Raja, jamai Raja are talking of impropriety. The media has been tarnishing his image,” he said, pointing out that the way it was being blown up was “height of insensitivity”. He also said that the travel documents issued by the UK authorities were used only once and for that specific purpose.
Abdi said when Modi first sought permission to live in the UK, the Home Office declined permission. Later, he approached the First Tribunal which allowed him to live in that country and it recorded the circumstances behind its decision. “Even the ruling said that his (Indian) passport was wrongly revoked and he is being persecuted,” he added.
According to Abdi, his client also faces a threat to his life and despite knowing this, his security was withdrawn.