Police have opposed Anil Jaisinghani's bail petition. (File)
Mumbai Police on Tuesday opposed a bail application filed by 'bookie' Anil Jaisinghani in a case of alleged attempt to blackmail and bribe Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis, claiming that Jaisinghani was "the main instigator" of the crime.
In a related development, Jaisinghani's daughter Aniksha, a co-accused in the case, was released from Byculla women's prison here following the bail granted to her by the sessions court on Monday.
Evidence was being collected against Jaisinghani, his daughter and his cousin Nirmal Jaisinghani, the police told the court.
Anil Jaisinghani was arrested from Gujarat last week along with his cousin Nirmal last week. The duo are in judicial custody. Anil had 17 cases registered against him in different parts of India and four of these cases were still pending against him, said the police's written reply on his bail plea.
He had been declared a fugitive, they added.
The court will hear the bail plea on March 31.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh police has sought transit remand from the Mumbai court to take Anil Jaisinghani to MP in connection with a case registered in their state.
The MP police's remand plea will be heard on Wednesday.
Anil Jaisinghani and his daughter have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections for conspiracy and extortion and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Aniksha Jaisinghani was arrested on March 16 after the case was registered here on February 20 on a complaint by Amruta Fadnavis.
Accordingly, she met Amruta Fadnavis for the first time in November 2021. She then requested the BJP leader's wife to wear clothes and jewellery designed by her at public events saying it would help her promote the products, the complaint said.
After gaining the deputy chief minister's wife's trust, Aniksha allegedly offered to provide her with information on some bookies through which, she claimed, they could make money.
She then directly offered Amruta Fadnavis Rs 1 crore to get her father Anil Jaisinghani off the hook in a police case, police said.
Amruta Fadnavis told the police that when she blocked Aniksha's number, being upset at such behaviour, the accused threatened her.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)