Indian jails are decent places for people like Mallya: Rahul

Days after the CBI sent a video footage of an Indian jail to a UK court, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that Indian jails are "decent places for people like Vijay Mallya".

Rahul attacked the Modi government for its "lenient" approach towards fugitive offenders like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Mallya.

"Before leaving India, Mallya met a few senior leaders of BJP and that's documented. I won't name who, but he did meet them," Gandhi said during his interaction with the Indian Journalists' Association here.

Gandhi was responding to a question how he thinks the Modi government is handling Mallya's case and whether Indian jails are up to scratch.

"I think Indian prisons are very decent places as far as Mallya is concerned," he said.

He said law should be equal for all. "Just because you are Mallya and have Rs 9,000 crore in the bank, so you require a different jail, it should not be...," the Congress leader said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has sent a video footage of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail's Barrack No 12 where Mallya is supposed to be kept after extradicion.

The specifications of the jail barrack were highlighted after a UK court asked the Indian authorities to submit a video of the jail compartment where Mallya would be kept.

The UK court's directions came after Mallya's defence team focused its objections on the lack of natural light available in Barrack 12 and claimed that the Indian government assurance cannot be relied upon.

Targeting the Centre, the Congress chief said that they are "leninent" for fugitive offenders and it did not act against PNB scam accused Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, of the Gitanjali group, who are wanted by the Indian agencies in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.

He said that there are "relationships" between Nirav Modi, Choksi and the Prime Minister.

"There are relationships between Nirav Modi, Choksi and the Prime Minister. And these relationships come in the middle of justice," he alleged.

Gandhi questioned: "Indian banks gave Rs 35,000 crore loan to Nirav Modi. Narendra Modi let him run away from India. How many jobs did Nirav Modi create? On what basis was he given Rs 35,000 crore? What were the foundations of his business and why aren't you trying to get him back?".

--IANS

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