Lalit Modi to return home after 16-year exile.

Tribunal verdict clears IPL founder in 2009 FEMA case.

After more than a decade and a half abroad, Indian Premier League (IPL) founder and former chairman Lalit Modi has announced his plans to return to India. His decision follows a landmark ruling by the Appellate Tribunal under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA), which dismissed most of the Enforcement Directorate’s findings against him in the 2009 IPL South Africa Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case.

The tribunal concluded that the foreign remittances made to host the IPL in South Africa were current account transactions, not capital account transactions, thereby dismantling the foundation of the Enforcement Directorate’s allegations. This judgment, delivered on July 16, 2026, has provided Modi with significant relief after years of legal battles.

Modi, who left India in 2010 amid multiple investigations, expressed his satisfaction with the verdict. He described the ruling as vindication of his long-standing claim that his actions were solely in the interest of the IPL. “Sixteen years I have fought, and whatever I have been saying has finally emerged as the truth,” he said, adding that the tribunal’s decision allows him to close a difficult chapter and move forward.

The case dates back to 2009, when the IPL was relocated to South Africa due to its clash with India’s general elections. The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that foreign exchange remittances for staging the tournament required prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India. The tribunal’s rejection of this premise has now cleared Modi of responsibility for the supposed violations.

Looking ahead, Modi revealed that he intends to return to India by the end of 2026 or early 2027, after the birth of his grandson later this year. His comeback marks the end of a prolonged exile and could reignite discussions about his role in shaping the IPL, which has since grown into one of the most lucrative sporting leagues in the world.

For Modi, the verdict is not just a personal victory but also a symbolic closure to one of Indian cricket’s most controversial sagas. As he prepares to return to the country he left behind, his return is likely to draw widespread attention, both for its legal implications and its impact on the sport he helped revolutionize.