Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said an inquiry will be conducted and action will be taken in connection with the FIR that was registered by his wife Amruta Fadnavis against a designer and her father for 'blackmailing' her. Fadnavis told this in the Assembly after Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar raised the issue and asked about the incident that was being reported in the media. He said the mastermind who was behind this will also be booked.
Later in the day, Mumbai Police arrested the designer, named Aniksha was arrested, said Mumbai Police sources. Earlier in the day her brother and Aniksha were detained from their house in camp number one of Ulhasnagar. Investigations have revealed that the Aniksha's father, Anil Jayasighani, an internationally renowned cricket bookie, is absconding for the last eight years. After police reached Aniksha's house, she complained of chest pain and was taken to the hospital for treatment. After four hours of interrogation, police took the brother and sister to Mumbai for further questioning.
Fadnavis said that the designer had boasted of her political connections and threatened Amruta that she would get the couple in trouble if she did not help in withdrawing cases against her father. Fadnavis's wife had lodged a police complaint at Malabar Hill police station on February 20.
Deliberating on the details of the case, Fadnavis said that the designer was in contact with her wife for the last two years and used to visit their house. After introducing herself to Amruta as a designer, Aniksha had won her trust by asking her to wear dresses designed by her and also suggested matching jewellery. She then claimed that her father had been falsely implicated and sought Amruta's help for withdrawing cases against him. Fadnavis said that his wife had asked the designer to submit an application and told that she would forward it to him. The designer had told Amruta that during the previous government procedure was almost complete for withdrawing the cases, but after change of power, the cases were not withdrawn.
Fadnavis said that the designer claimed she had many contacts with bookies and threatened to implicate him and his wife. Boasting about her contacts with politicians and senior police officers, the designer started pressuring Amruta for withdrawing cases against her father. She also reportedly offered Rs one crore to Amruta for helping to withdraw the cases. The designer had then blackmailed Amruta with audio and video recordings after which, the latter had blocked her number. In one of the videos, the designer has been seen giving a bag full of money to the domestic help in Fadnavis's house but investigations have revealed that the video was edited and the bag actually contained clothes.
Fadnavis said that police are investigating into the matter and action will be taken against the accused.
