Why issue red corner notice against Lalit: Interpol asks ED

Getting hold of former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi may not be that easy a nut to crack. Interpol has sought answers from the Enforcement Directorate in India about the evidence against the former IPL chief and the need for a red corner notice against him.

The ED reportedly received the query from the Interpol on August 20. Interpol has asked to know if there is ample evidence is available against Lalit Modi to arrest him. They have also sought the details of the other accused in the case and the offence under which the case has been registered. It has also demanded to know why there was a delay in the investigation.

A red corner notice may enable Interpol to detain and bring Modi back to India from Malta, where he is said to be staying right now.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had recently sent documents to the Interpol to process the red-corner notice against Lalit Modi. A non-bailable arrest warrant was also issued against Lalit Modi by a Mumbai court over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities in the IPL.

The Narendra Modi government has been under attack ever since External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj admitted having no objection to Lalit Modi's request to travel out of the United Kingdom for his wife's treatment. The minister called it a "humanitarian act".

Even Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje faced Opposition's wrath for signing documents to help Modi get UK stay permit in 2011 when she was the leader of opposition in the state Assembly. The Chief Minister claimed that she helped her as a friend.