Modi govt allowed Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya to flee country: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Saturday that the Modi government allowed economic offenders Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya to flee the country, and wondered whether this was the prime minister's "patriotism".

"Why did Modi government make the two flee country. Is this the patriotism of Modi ji?" Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief was reacting to a tweet saying Mallya and Nirav Modi have met several times in the past to discuss evading extradition to India.

There was a fresh focus on the fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi after a British daily Saturday reported that the accused in the USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank(PNB) scam has been living in a swanky 8-million pound apartment in London's West End and is now involved in a new diamond business.

Sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Saturday the United Kingdom's home secretary has recently referred India's request for extraditing Nirav Modi to a court for initiating legal proceedings.