Congress member defending Nirav Modi in UK court: BJP

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused the Congress of trying 'its best to save' fugitive businessman Nirav Modi who faces extradition proceedings in a United Kingdom court. The ruling party cited the statement of a former high court judge, who is also a Congress member, in the arrested diamond merchant's defence to attack the opposition party.

Addressing the media through a video conference, senior BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Abhay Thipsay, a former judge of Mumbai and Allahabad high courts, deposed as a defence witness in the case and claimed that the charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy against Modi will not stand up under Indian law.

Prasad noted that Thipsay had joined the Congress in 2018 and had met top party leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot and Ashok Chavan.

The 'judge sahab' is not acting in his individual capacity but is working at the behest of the Congress, he claimed, adding that Thipsay is hardly a big name otherwise in legal circles.

"There is overpowering suspicious circumstances existing from which we can infer that the Congress is trying its best to save and bail out Nirav Modi," Prasad said, claiming that the development has 'unmasked' the opposition party which has always tried to 'protect' Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksy, also a fugitive.