A special court Monday rejected an application by Aniksha Jaisinghani, who is accused of attempting to extort Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s wife Amruta, seeking to return her electronic devices seized during the investigation in the case.
Jaisinghani, currently out on bail, argued that she needed the gadgets to access social media and for her studies as a law student. However, the court found these claims insufficient.
“The submissions… that the applicant (Jaisinghani) was not able to contact social media due to lack of her iPhone 13 Pro Max and social media communications accounts are not much important considering the material which may be available in the said electronic devices… For studying law too such type of electronic gadgets, considering the material available through internet, is not so important,” the court said.
The Mumbai police opposed the return of the gadgets, citing ongoing data analysis at the forensic laboratory.
They warned that returning the devices could lead to tampering or loss of data, including sensitive and hidden files.
The state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reported a backlog of 8,655 cases and requested additional time to complete the analysis of Jaisinghani’s gadgets.
The court suggested that the investigating officer request the FSL to prioritise the analysis of these seized items. It also stated that Jaisinghani could revisit the court later once the forensic examination is complete and the gadgets are returned.
Jaisinghani and her father, alleged bookie Anil, were arrested by Malabar Hill police in 2023 on charges including extortion. Formal charges in the case are yet to be framed.
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