Nirav's arrest in UK a pre-planned drama by government: NCP

The NCP Wednesday termed fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's arrest in London as a "pre-planned drama" by the government to derive a political mileage in view of the next month's Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil said it was already known that the economic offender was living in London after fleeing India.

"Nirav Modi's arrest has been timed ahead of Lok Sabha polls...Some channels had showed Modi as being in London, which was known previously," Patil told reporters here.

"It is a pre-planned drama by the government...to pretend as bringing back those who had fled the country till the Lok Sabha polls (otherwise) the BJP never intended to bring back the economic offenders," he alleged.

Nirav Modi, the main accused in the USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, was arrested in London.

His arrest came days after a London court issued an arrest warrant against him in response to a request by the Enforcement Directorate for his extradition in a money laundering case.

Nirav Modi is believed to have been living in a plush apartment in Centre Point in the West End.