Bookie Jaisinghani held after 72-hour, 750-km long chase

Senior police officials said that after picking up Aniksha from the family’s Ulhasnagar residence, five teams comprising around 40 police personnel – three from the Cyber police and one each from the Criminal Intelligence Unit and Unit 10 of the crime branch had started tracking her father

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police on Monday arrested 57-year-old Anil Jaisinghani for allegedly trying to bribe and blackmail deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s wife, Amruta Fadnavis, officials said.

Mumbai, India - March 20, 2023: Anil Jaisinghani, bookie from Ulhasnagar, arrested by the Mumbai crime branch from Gujarat’s Godhra. He was named as a co-accused in the case related to the alleged blackmailing of Amruta Fadnavis, wife of deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, at CP Office, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, March 20, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

The bookie was arrested after a three-day operation during which five teams of the city police fanned out in the state and neighbouring Gujarat, following his trail for around 750km. Senior police officials said that after picking up Aniksha from the family’s Ulhasnagar residence, five teams comprising around 40 police personnel – three from the Cyber police and one each from the Criminal Intelligence Unit and Unit 10 of the crime branch had started tracking her father.

On Thursday, when the police started tracking Jaisinghani’s mobile, they found he was holed up in Mira Road, but by the time police teams reached the extended suburb, he was gone. When subsequent checks by the cyber police revealed his location to be Bardoli in Gujrat, the crime branch despatched three teams to the town. Twelve policemen of the crime branch along with Surat police conducted a combing operation in a small area in Bardoli but Jaisinghani succeeded in dodging the police. Soon after, his phone showed his location in Surat and when the police started proceeding towards Surat, the bookie was already found to be moving towards Godhra. Eventually, after following him for around 750 km, Jaisinghani was nabbed around 11pm on Sunday after the police teams intercepted him, and two others, at Kalol toll plaza in Godhra district of Gujarat, officials said.

The three were brought to the city on Monday. Jaisinghani was placed under arrest and will be produced before a court on Tuesday, a police officer said. “The three were handed over to ACP Ravi Sardesai, who is the investigating officer in the Amruta Fadnavis case,” deputy commissioner of police (cyber police) Balsingh Rajput said.

After several hours of questioning, the police decided to arrest one Nirmal, who was caught with Anil Jaisinghani in Godhra, Gujarat. Nirmal allegedly provided shelter to Jaisinghani and was helping him escape, said an official. He will also be produced in court along with Jaisinghani.

The police have seized mobile phones and other electronic devices from Jaisinghani and his call detail records are being scrutinised, Rajput said.

“While evading arrest, Jaisinghani was in constant touch with his daughter, Aniksha (27) who was arrested in the case last Thursday,” said an officer privy to the probe.

“Jaisinghani and Aniksha will be now interrogated together in this case,” he added. According to the police, Aniksha, posing as a fashion designer, befriended Amruta Fadnavis. She later offered to relay information about cricket bookies to Amruta, saying that they could both make money off it, said chief public prosecutor Jaisingh Desai.

When Amruta stopped communicating with her, Aniksha offered her a bribe of ₹1 crore in exchange for clearing Jaisinghani of all charges, said an official citing Amruta’s statement to police. After Amruta dismissed Aniksha, she threatened to reveal details of their conversations, said the police. The Malabar Hill police registered an FIR based on Amruta’s complaint on February 20.

A notorious bookie , Jaisinghani had been on the run for over eight years. He reportedly fled the country after the Gujarat unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started money laundering probe against him in early 2015. The Gujrat ED had in May 2015 raided his residence in Ulhasnagar.

At least 14 cases have been registered against him in the last two decades in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujrat, most of which are related to betting.