Mamata right that whole party cannot be a thief: Madan Mitra

Kolkata, Dec 3: Senior Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra, who is an accused in the Saradha scam, on Thursday endorsed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's assertion that "individuals can be thieves, but a party cannot".

"She has said the right thing," said Mitra, while coming out of a city court, when asked for his response to her remarks at a public meeting in Howrah district on Monday.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool supremo, had said: "If someone gets money in hand, that individual may be a thief. Individuals can be thieves, but a party cannot."

Behind bars for his alleged complicity in multi-crore rupee scam, the former state minister's judicial custody was extended till December 17 by a court here on Thursday.

Arrested and indicted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mitra, was presented before the court of additional chief judicial magistrate which extended his judicial custody by 14 days.

The Calcutta High Court had on November 19 cancelled the senior Trinamool lawmaker's bail that was granted by a lower court on October 31.

Following the cancellation of his bail, Mitra had surrendered before a court.

Arrested on December 12 last year, Mitra stepped down as state transport and sports minister on November 18, a day before the high court eventually cancelled his bail.