Anvay Naik case: Kin accuse Fadnavis govt of suppressing probe

The family of interior designer Anvay Naik, who allegedly committed suicide in 2018, on Thursday accused the previous BJP-led Maharashtra government of suppressing the investigation in the case.

The BJP, however, claimed that the Supreme Court has already given its "verdict" in the case and cleared the previous government from charges of suppressing the probe.

Anvay Naik's daughter Adnya and his widow Akshata made the allegation while speaking to reporters at Prabhadevi in central Mumbai.

"The previous state government 100 per cent suppressed the case of my father's suicide and I think there should be an investigation into it," Adnya said.

The then investigating officer in the case was trying to forcibly take our signature on the case-closing form, she alleged.

Akshata Naik said, "On whose instructions these things were happening? The police should investigate the entire chain behind it. There should be a thorough inquiry of the previous government in connection with the case."

Reacting to it, Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye told PTI, "We share the family's grief. However, the apex court has already given its verdict in Anvay Naik suicide case and cleared the previous BJP-led government from charges of suppressing the investigation."

Akshata Naik further said that the family moved from pillar to post to seek justice, but they are yet to get it.

"We are again requesting everyone to give us justice in the case...One person gets justice within two days and people are transferred only on the basis of suspicion. But in our case, there was a suicide note, an FIR was registered under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide) and there were names of three accused...When we will get justice?" she asked.

"Is it that only if you are the richest person of Asia, you will get justice?" she asked.

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Adnya said, "After the arrest of the accused persons, we have been continuously getting threats."

"The accused threatened that they will see how we are able to run our business and how I get married. They said they will beat us in Prabhadevi," she alleged.

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and two others were arrested on November 4 last year by Raigad police in connection with the suicide of Anvay Naik and his mother. They were granted bail by the Supreme Court a few days later.

In May last year, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered re-investigation into the case after Adnya Naik complained that Alibaug Police in neighbouring Raigad district did not probe the non-payment of dues which had driven her father and grandmother to suicide.

Akshata Naik said, "There is one video on social media in which the accused threatened us by saying that the 'game has now begun'. Since that day, we have not been able to sleep properly."

Welcoming the SIT probe announced by the state government in the case, she said it was needed.

"An in-depth investigation should be carried out in the case," she said.

"We saw that the (suicide) issue was raised in the recently-concluded budget session of the Assembly. But why was it not taken up in the House immediately after the suicide of my husband?" she asked.

She sought to know that if there were debates in the recent state Assembly for three days over Naik's suicide, why no debate took place in the House under the previous government.

The opposition is now producing call detail record (CDR) (in Mansukh Hiran case), so why wasnt's any CDR produced in our case? she asked.

Adnya said, "The Supreme Court has only given interim bail in my father's case. It is not a verdict. The case is yet to stand in the court."