After Mallya's arrest, what awaits former IPL chief Lalit Modi?

The arrest of liquor baron Vijay Mallya has ignited hopes of a possible extradition of another fugitive Lalit Modi, a former cricket administrator who is facing money laundering charges here.

Modi faces a series of investigations by Enforcement Directorate and other agencies related to money laundering and forex law violations in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL), a money making cricketing extravaganza he designed for the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).

He left India for the UK in 2010 as his detractors in the cricket administration and investigators closed in on him. He did not return despite a series of summons by investigating agencies, prompting courts to issue non-bailable warrants and sanction for initiating extradition proceedings.

Mallya's arrest provide a fillip to the government's efforts to get Modi and around 60 others like him back in India to face law. The list included names like the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal Christian Michel.

The extradition process for Mallya gained further momentum last November after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May met in New Delhi and agreed not to allow fugitives escape law and to facilitate outstanding extradition requests.

Both the Prime Ministers had directed officials from both sides to develop a better understanding of each countries' legal processes and requirements, share best practices and identify the causes of delays and expedite pending requests. They also agreed that regular interactions between the relevant India-UK authorities would be useful to resolve all outstanding cases expeditiously.

The investigation agencies followed up the cases in courts and got orders in its favour while Government used its machinery to convince UK authorities in Mallya's case. In Modi's case too, the agencies are working on cases. The ED had summoned Modi several times but he did not appear before the investigators, prompting a special court in Mumbai issue an order asking the ED to begin extradition proceedings against him.

The agency had also moved Interpol to get a red corner notice issued against him but later the international body refused to aceede to India's request, according to a tweet by Modi last month.

One of the prominent cases against Modi is related to the contravention of forex laws in awarding cricketing media rights contract of IPL for Rs 425 crore in 2009 probed by Enforcement Directorate while import of an aircraft had attracted attention of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

Modi also faced investigations in the transaction of Rs 90 crore with International Management Group, a UK company, in the IPL. There were also allegations about FEMA violations in dealing with the money part of foreign players auctioned.