Amruta Fadnavis extortion case: Absconding bookie-father was in Ulhasnagar a week before Aniksha’s arrest, cops suspect

On March 16, the day The Indian Express reported that Amruta Fadnavis had got an FIR lodged at Malabar Hill police station alleging threat, conspiracy and a Rs 1-crore bribe bid, multiple teams of Mumbai Police had raided the Jaisinghani residence at Ulhasnagar. While Aniksha was arrested, over 10 electronic devices, including cellphones, were seized from the house.

The police had on Friday informed the special court that Section 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) has been added to the FIR, as Aniksha had allegedly blackmailed and demanded also Rs 10 crore from Amruta. The incident of extortion, the police said, was committed days after the FIR was registered on February 20.

“We have recovered three cellphones and an iPad from Aniksha’s house. All of them are either pattern locked or password protected. We are trying to access the cellphones, which will help us understand how many videos were made to threaten Amruta… Access to her cellphones will also help us identify the number used by her to stay in touch with her father,” said an officer.
The officer added that Aniksha is not cooperating and sharing the pattern or the password of her cellphones.

The officer said that a phone, suspected to be belonging to Anil Jaisinghani, was located in Ulhasnagar, days before Aniksha was arrested. “We are trying to reconfirm whether Anil Jaisinghani was in Ulhasnagar or was it just that his phone was in Ulhasnagar and was being used by Aniksha. Anil Jaisinghani has been making Internet calls to communicate with everyone.”

Anil Jaisinghani, wanted in over seven cases registered in five states, has been evading the police for around eight years now. He was arrested thrice in betting cases and has 17 cases registered against him.

In May 2015, the Gujarat Enforcement Directorate had raided two of Jaisinghani’s houses and booked him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Goa Police had issued a Look Out Circular on May 11, 2019.

The officer said they will send Aniksha’s voice and handwriting samples for forensic examination. “We will send the samples for analysis… it will help confirm whether the voice notes and the handwritten note sent to Amruta was recorded or written by Aniksha,” said the officer.

Aniksha was on Friday produced before a special court, which remanded her in police custody till March 21.