Who is Anil Jaisinghani, named by Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in Assembly?

Arrested thrice in betting cases, Jaisinghani has, in all, 17 cases registered against him. In fact, Goa Police had opened a Look Out Circular on May 11, 2019, to locate him.

Almost eight years ago in May 2015, the Gujarat Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided two of Jaisinghani’s houses and booked him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He continues to be on the run citing poor health. The next year, police stations in Azad Maidan and Sakinaka, both in Mumbai, had registered cases of cheating and forgery against him.

On the run from the law for around eight years now, Jaisinghani is also on the radar of the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Securities Unit (ACSU). Those in the know say he operated as a cricket bookie from Mumbai’s Ulhasnagar, an area notorious for illegal betting. Once brought to the notice of the ACSU sleuths, he was under the scanner.

An ACSU official, who did not wish to be named, told The Indian Express, “He (Anil) is a person of interest for us. It was in 2015 he was very active but since then he is absconding. The ACSU had then got in touch with the local police for more information.” Jaisinghani’s son is said to have taken over the operation later. “He (son) is active now with other bookies. But we still have the Anil Jaisinghani file,” the ACSU official said.

A senior Mumbai police official said, “The Ahmedabad sessions court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Initially, posing to be ill, he got admitted in a hospital but later submitted a bogus medical certificate, claiming his wife Karishma has to take a test for a surgery.”

The Azad Maidan police were later informed that he had forged the signature of a doctor in Lilavati Hospital. Following this, a case of cheating and forgery was registered against Jaisinghani on May 1, 2016. As the police couldn’t locate him for three years, the High Court declared him a proclaimed offender last year.

A police officer said Jaisinghani is based mainly in Ulhasnagar, and those familiar with the booking circuit know him well. “After the proclamation notice was issued by the HC in September 2018, we posted banners in the hope that somebody would inform us about his location. We are still trying to find him,” he said. In September 2018, the Azad Maidan police had sealed Jaisinghani’s Ulhasnagar residence.

Officers from Gujarat ED as well as Mumbai, Thane, Goa, Assam and Madhya Pradesh Police are on the look out for Jaisinghani.

Deepak Keswani, a relative of a complainant in multiple cases registered against Jaisinghani said, “Jaisinghani is known for lodging false complaints against people and extorting money from them. He had also got a false case of rape and drug possession registered against my uncle with the Goa and Assam police, respectively. My uncle got a clean chit and a case was subsequently registered against him.”

Responding to their writ petition filed at the High Court of Bombay in Goa, Goa police had in July 2019 said, “As regards to absconding accused Anil Jaisinghani and his daughter Aniksha Jaisinghani, efforts are on to trace them. As regards the main accused Mr. Anil Jaisinghani, a Look Out Circular has already been opened on 11/05/2019 to locate accused Mr. Anil Jaisinghani. With regards to his daughter Aniksha Jaisinghani, a team headed by PSI Vilesh Durbhatkar was deputed to Ahmedabad Gujarat and Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra on 22/06/2019 to 29/06/2019, however she was not traced. Prior to that, on ten occasions Police teams were deputed to trace the absconding accused Mr. Anil Jaisinghani. Local Police of Gujarat and Maharashtra have been already alerted. Upon tracing the absconding accused, a supplementary chargesheet will be filed.”