Samir Modi, businessman and brother of fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi, was arrested at the Delhi airport on Thursday in connection with a rape case dating back to 2019, police said.

Arrest and charges

Authorities said Samir was intercepted at the airport upon his arrival from abroad and detained under a Lookout Circular issued by New Friends Colony police station. He has been remanded to a one-day police custody following a court order.

Police stated that an FIR was registered against him on September 10 under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant has alleged that Samir raped and threatened her repeatedly since 2019, luring her with promises of career opportunities in the fashion and lifestyle sector. She claimed the first assault occurred in December 2019 at his New Friends Colony residence.

According to the FIR, the woman accused him of harassment and blackmail under the false assurance of marriage, despite being aware that he was already married. She also alleged that Samir used his influence to silence her with intimidation and false assurances, warning her against disclosing the abuse.

The complainant told police she faced constant threats to her life and family if she revealed the abuse. She also accused the businessman of cheating her with false promises, maintaining the harassment persisted over several years.

Samir Modi’s defence

Samir’s legal team, however, dismissed the charges, calling them fabricated. In a statement, Simran Singh of Sakura Advisory, counsel for Samir, said, "The complaint is based on false and concocted facts and the allegations have been made with the ulterior motive of extracting money from him."

His lawyers argued that Samir had earlier filed complaints against the woman. "She claimed to be in relationship with Samir Modi since 2019. On August 8 and 13, Samir Modi filed complaints before various police officers for extortion and blackmail by the lady. These were supported by the WhatsApp chats between them where she asked for an amount of Rs 50 crore," the statement read.

The legal team further alleged police acted hastily. "It is a clear case of abuse of the provisions of law and also hasty acts of the police in making as arrest without verifying the facts. We have full faith in the judiciary of our country and agencies who will not only investigate but immediately bring closure to this matter. We ask that you respect the privacy of the family at this deeply sensitive time until such matter is brought to its logical conclusion by the judiciary," they said.

Who is Samir Modi?

Samir Modi, the youngest son of the late industrialist KK Modi and Bina Modi, has often been in the news for both business disputes and personal controversies. He is a cousin of fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi and has held key roles across the family’s business empire.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Samir is the founder and managing director of Modicare, a direct selling company, and also serves as executive director at Modi Enterprises, the conglomerate established by his grandfather Gujarmal Modi in 1933. He is also the founder of Colorbar Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. His mother, Bina Modi, is the chairperson of tobacco firm Godfrey Phillips India.

He has long been at the centre of a bitter family feud over control of the Modi business empire. Once an executive director at Godfrey Phillips India Ltd., Samir was removed from the company’s board in 2024 following disputes over his conduct inside and outside board meetings.

(With inputs from PTI)