The Bombay High Court on Friday reserved its order on the petition filed by alleged bookie Anil Jaisinghani challenging his “illegal” arrest in an extortion and bribery case lodged by Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The Malabar Hill police station in south Mumbai had on February 20 registered an FIR against Mr. Jaisinghani and his daughter Ms. Aniksha for allegedly threatening to make public certain audio and video clips that purportedly show Fadnavis accepting favours from Ms. Aniksha.
The duo were booked for offences under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 385 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 8 (induce public servant using corrupt means) and 12 (abetment) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Ms. Aniksha, who was arrested on March 17, was granted bail in the case by a sessions court on March 27.
Anil Jaisinghani was arrested in Gujarat and is presently in judicial custody.
In his petition in the high court, Mr. Jaisinghani claimed that he had been illegally arrested in the case on March 19, but was not produced before the court within 24 hours as mandated in law.
His advocate Mrigendra Singh on Friday told a division bench headed by Justice A.S. Gadkari that Mr. Jaisinghani was produced before the court in Mumbai 36 hours after his arrest.
Mr. Singh alleged that everything in the case was being monitored by the complainant's husband who is the state's home minister.
Maharashtra' Advocate General Birendra Saraf refuted the allegations and said the police had followed all procedures properly and that there had been no delay in producing Mr. Jaisinghani before the court for remand.
The police had merely taken "possession" of Mr. Jaisinghani on March 19 and they wanted to produce him before the competent court in Mumbai, he said.
As per the arrest memo, Mr. Jaisinghani was arrested on March 20 at 5 pm and was produced before the sessions court on March 21, Saraf said.
