India: TMC leader attacks PM on Davos photo with Nirav Modi

 Narendra Modi with Nirav Modi

Baduria (WB), May 11 (PTI) TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee Saturday said if party leader Madan Mitra can be arrested for "just a picture" with Saradha group founder Sudipta Sen, the prime minister should also be held for "posing" with fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi.

Mitra, a former transport minister of West Bengal, was released from custody on bail in September 2016, after spending over 21 months in jail in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chitfund scam.

"If our leader and minister Madan Mitra can be arrested for just having a picture with Saradha scam boss Sudipta Sen, then why won't Prime Minister Narendra Modi be arrested for posing with fugitive businessman Nirav Modi?" he said at an election rally here.

Banerjee was referring to a 2018 picture in which the prime minister was seen along with a number of business leaders, including Nirav Modi, in Davos.

On Wednesday, a UK court denied bail to Nirav Modi for the third time, saying the fugitive diamond merchant who is the main accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud and money laundering case amounting to up to USD 2 billion, would fail to surrender.