INDIA. Mumbai: Fashion designer Aniksha Jaisinghani (26), arrested on charges of blackmailing Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, was remanded to police custody till March 21, by the Additional Sessions Judge DD Almale, on Friday.
Aniksha was arrested on Thursday from Ulhasanagar in Maharashtra’s Thane district on charges of offering Amruta Fadnavis, an Rs 1 crore bribe to help her father, Anil Jaisinghani, a bookie and absconding accused in several criminal cases.
On Friday, Chief Public Prosecutor Jaising Desai said that the fashion designer wanted to use the husband of the complainant, who is a public servant (DCM). When the investigation was going on, the prosecution came across certain video clips and photographs that showed how a conspiracy was hatched against the public servant.
Desai said that the videos were made to threaten and get an extra Rs. 10 crores through blackmail. Anil Jaisinghani, wanted in 17 cases, was absconding, and Aniksha was in touch with him.
Aniksha has been booked for offences under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 385 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 8 (inducing public servants to use corrupt means) and Section 12 (abettment) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In the FIR that Amruta filed on February 20 at the Malabar Hill police station in South Mumbai, she said that Aniksha had been in touch with her since 2021, which is more than 16 months. She allegedly asked her to wear products designed by her at public events, which she agreed to do.
Aniksha, who had paid a visit to the DCM’s official residence in South Mumbai, allegedly offered Amruta information on certain bookies through which both of them could earn money by conducting raids. Thereafter, she directly offered Rs 1 crore to Amruta to get her father off the hook in another police case. After she blocked her number, Aniksha sent video clips, voice notes, and messages from unknown phone numbers, She was indirectly threatening and conspiring against her, Amruta told police.
Aniksha’s lawyer informed the court that out of 17 cases against Anil Raisinghani, 13 had been settled. No notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure was given to Aniksha and the FIR was of prior date. She is in custody only because there are cases against her father, he argued. He also told the court that she is a law student and her exams are currently on.
During the IPL and other matches, Anil Jaisinghani ran a group of people who made bets in Dubai, Karachi, and Delhi. He had allegedly pocketed some police officers. In one case, a DCP in Mumbai facing corruption charges quit the job.
The cases have been registered against Jaisinghani in Maharashtra, Goa, and Assam, and he has been absconding for the past seven to eight years. Aniksha met Amruta around November 2021. During the period of acquittance, she gave her clothes, footwear, and jewellery for promotional purposes.
The fashion designer sent videos and voice messages to Amruta. In one of the clips, Aniksha was seen filling a bag with cash, which was later seen at the residence of Devendra Fadnavis. Amruta also released a book, “Reminiscences of Her,” authored by Aniksha in 2022. Subsequently upset by her behaviour, Amruta blocked her number.
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