Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta fell in controversy after a designer tried to bribe her Rs 1 crore seeking favor for her absconding father. The opposition leaders did not miss the opportunity to question the Deputy CM in the matter. Fadnavis, himself came forward in the assembly and spoke on issue on Thursday. He said an appropriate inquiry will be done into the first information report (FIR) registered in connection with an attempt to bribe and blackmail his wife.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ajit Pawar, in the assembly, sought to know the details of the case reported in the media.
The deputy CM said that the designer, against whom the complaint has been filed, hinted about her political connections and how she could get him into trouble if the cases against her absconding father were not withdrawn.
The designer has so far not responded to the allegations against her.
On Amruta’s complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered on February 20 at the Malabar Hill police station against the woman, identified by her as Aniksha, and her father, an official said. No one has been arrested in the case so far, the official said.
Fadnavis said the designer was in touch with his wife for nearly one and a half years and was a frequent visitor to their home.
The designer, daughter of one Anil Jaisinghani who faces 14 to 15 cases and is absconding, is a well-educated girl, he said. She first came in contact with Amruta in 2015-16 and won her trust and confidence, said Fadnavis.
“In 2021, she resumed contact with Amruta and even asked her to wear the clothes designed by her. She spoke about her father claiming that he was implicated in false cases and asked for help. My wife said she should give a memorandum which would be forwarded to me,” Fadnavis said.
The deputy CM told the House, “After the change of government, the designer spoke about her contacts with bookies. She claimed that she would share information and after the authorities conducted raids, she would get money from both parties.”
The designer hinted that if the cases are not withdrawn, she could implicate him (Devendra Fadnavis), said the deputy chief minister.
The woman dropped names of police officials and politicians to boast of her contacts, said Fadnavis. There were attempts to get the cases dropped during the tenure of the last police commissioner, he said.
Amruta Fadnavis allegedly offered Rs 1 crore by accused
She hinted that if the cases are withdrawn, she and her father would speak in favour of Amruta and her husband, said the deputy CM. The designer also allegedly offered Amruta Rs 1 crore to get her father off the hook, a police official had said earlier citing the FIR.
Fadnavis said during the previous government, he always spoke of attempts being made to implicate him. Thankfully, nothing happened, he said, lamenting that the level of politics has plunged.
The deputy CM said the case will be investigated. The father is still absconding, he said. Fadnavis said the designer tried to blackmail his wife with some audio and video recordings from unknown numbers after Amruta blocked her number on her phone. A forensic audit of the recordings has proved that they are false, he said.
One of the video clips shows the designer handing over a “bag full of money” to the house help in the Fadnavis residence, the deputy CM, said adding that the forensic audit proved that the bag with money in one frame and the bag handed over to the house help in the other are different.
(With PTI input)
