ED conducts searches against bookie Anil Jaisinghani in money laundering case linked to IPL betting

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted searches against suspected bookie Anil Jaisinghani in a money laundering case linked to an alleged betting racket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 cricket tournament in 2015, official sources said.

Jaisinghani and his daughter Aniksha were arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to bribe and blackmail Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis and using private messages to extort money from her when she refused to save Anil Jaisinghani from several FIRs lodged against him.

He was subsequently arrested by the ED in April.

Sources said the agency is searching his locations at Ulhasnagar in Thane district and some premises in Mumbai.

The money laundering case linked to alleged betting in IPL matches in 2015 pertains to busting of a racket and subsequent arrest of some bookies from a farmhouse on the outskirts of Vadodara city in Gujarat by the ED.

The federal probe agency later arrested 16 others, including two suspected bookies from Delhi, in connection with this investigation.

Jaisinghani and his daughter were alleged to have hatched a conspiracy as part of which Aniksha developed friendly relations with Amruta Fadnavis and then requested her to "save her father from the several criminal cases pending against him as the husband of the complainant (Amruta Fadnavis) is a public servant".

Aniksha tried to offer a bribe of Rs 1 crore to Amruta Fadnavis, according to the police complaint.

The Malabar Hill police station in south Mumbai on February 20 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Anil Jaisinghani and Aniksha for allegedly threatening to make public certain audio and video clips that purportedly show Amruta Fadnavis accepting favours from Aniksha.

Aniksha, who was arrested on March 17, was granted bail in the case on March 27 by the court.

Anil Jaisinghani was later arrested by the Mumbai Police from Gujarat.