Lalit Modi, IPL founder and first chairman, says he will return to India after major tribunal relief

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has confirmed that he will return to India by the end of the year or early next year. An appellate tribunal set aside most of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) findings and penalties against him and other appellants in the 2009 IPL South Africa Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case.

Speaking after the ruling, Modi described the verdict as the culmination of a legal battle spanning 16 years. He said the decision had vindicated his long-standing position that his actions were aimed at protecting the interests of the IPL.

“It's really been a great day. 16 years I have fought and whatever I have been saying to the media and to everybody has finally emerged as the truth. I'm really happy that the tribunal has ruled in my favour. I was only concerned with the well-being of the IPL and nothing and nothing at all. That is the most dear to me. Now that chapter is behind me, I'm going to move on in my life and I'm looking forward to coming back to India.  I will come back probably end of this year or early next year. My daughter is due with my grandson in October and hopefully everything will be well and I'll be back in India,” Modi told ANI.

In recent times, Modi also has been very active on social media and often turned up for media podcasts. He also defended

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The Appellate Tribunal under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA) delivered the relief while hearing appeals arising from the ED's action in connection with the 2009 relocation of the IPL to South Africa. The tournament was shifted outside India that year after security concerns linked to the general elections.

The ED had alleged violations of FEMA provisions in relation to financial transactions associated with organising the tournament in South Africa and had imposed penalties on Modi and others. The tribunal, however, set aside most of those findings and penalties, providing significant relief to the appellants.

The detailed implications of the tribunal's order, including whether any findings remain against the parties or whether the ED will pursue further legal remedies, are yet to become clear.

Modi, who has lived outside India for several years, has remained a controversial figure in Indian cricket and has faced multiple investigations since leaving the country in 2010.