Lalit Modi withdraws plea in passport case

Appearing before Justice Vipin Sanghi, the counsel for Modi said his client "was informed on Thursday about the order passed by the appellate authority and he would like to withdraw his petition as it stands infructuous."

Justice Sanghi allowed Modi to withdraw the petition in which he had sought expeditious decision by the authority hearing his appeal against revocation of his passport by the Mumbai Passport Office for alleged foreign exchange violations.

The counsel for Modi informed the court that order on his appeal was already passed on October 31.

Modi had on November 2 approached the high court with an oral plea but the judge had told him to first file a petition before seeking urgent hearing of his case. Senior Advocate Rakesh Tiku, appearing for Modi, had told the court that "his appeal has been pending before the authority since August this year and no order has been passed yet".

The Regional passport office in Mumbai had revoked Modi`s passport on March 3 this year following Enforcement Directorate`s probe into financial irregularities. Modi is at present in London.