PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has dismissed a petition seeking transferring of an investigation against absconding history-sheeter Anil Jaisinghani to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the grounds that there was no prima facie evidence to indicate the local police are biased to him.
The court’s order is pursuant to a petition filed by Mumbai-based businessman Kishore Keswani that Jaisinghani in connivance with alleged co-accused Tulika Katare dragged him into a fake rape case in 2016. With no sign of Jaisinghani’s arrest into his complaint lodged at Anjuna police station, Keswani pleaded to the High Court to hand over the case to CBI or SIT.
The petitioner had also accused then Anjuna SDPO Gajanan Prabhudessai of trying to shield the absconder even as the police had later closed the fake rape case against Keswani and booked Jaisinghani and Katare.
The division bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Nutan Sardessai noted that while the court is conscious that the petitioner has been deeply hurt by the attempt on the part of Jaisinghani to falsely implicate him in a case which concerns not only his liberty, but also his reputation, in this matter, added, “We have to remind ourselves that the petitioner and Jaisinghani are embroiled in several disputes, which have not only of civil profile, but also a criminal profile.’
“In these circumstances, it is quite natural for the petitioner to perceive that the investigations are not going in the manner in which they ought to. However, we have to evaluate the material on record with objectivity. We, obviously, cannot be swayed by such considerations. The material on record, does not, at least prima facie, suggest that the police authorities are deliberately adopting lackadaisical approach, in conducting the investigation so as to assist the accused persons,” the bench stated.
In the present petition, the Goa police had admitted that its personnel had flown to Mumbai on the tickets purchased by Jaisinghani, accused wanted by Mumbai, Gujarat and Assam police too. The police personnel had later faced disciplinary action by the higher ups.
