Wanted bookie Anil Jaisinghani, booked in an alleged bribery and extortion case of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta Fadnavis, was sent to police custody till March 27 by a Mumbai court on Tuesday, reported PTI. He was produced before additional sessions judge D D Almale in Mumbai.
Jaisinghani was arrested from Gujarat’s Godhra and intercepted at Kalol in Gujarat late on Sunday night after a 750 km chase over 72 hours.
The 56-year-old was nabbed by Gujarat police, which was working with Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch, and brought to Mumbai and handed over to Malabar Hill police. An influential bookie and history-sheeter, with more than 17 cases against him in five states, Jaisinghani had been on the run for over seven years.
Mumbai police said five teams were formed as part of “operation AJ”. Deputy Commissioner of Police Balsingh Rajput said Jaisinghani told reporters that the accused was in Shirdi on March 13, then he headed to Bardoli and from there he had gone to Surat.
The Indian Express had reported on March 16 that Amruta had registered an FIR at Malabar Hill police station on February 20 alleging threat, conspiracy, and an Rs one crore bribery attempt against a “designer” named Aniksha Jaisinghani, daughter of Anil Jaisinghani.
Aniksha was arrested from Ulhasnagar. She was also produced before the court today at the end of her initial remand, and the court extended her custody till March 24.
The father-daughter duo have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy and extortion and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Anil Jaisinghani’s name was mentioned by BJP
“Anil Jaisinghani has been absconding for the past seven to eight years. There are 14-15 cases registered against him. He has a daughter (Aniksha), who is smart and well-educated. She got in touch with Amruta in 2015-2016 but she stopped all contact after that; but in 2021, she approached my wife again,” Fadnavis had said in the Assembly.