The FIR was registered by the Khalapur police in Maharashtra under IPC sections 306 (abetting suicide) and 34 (common intention), an official said
The Khalapur police in Maharashtra on Friday registered an FIR in connection with the death of renowned art director Nitin Desai, the police officials said.
"The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 306 (abetting suicide) and 34 (common intention) on the complainant of Neha Nitin Desai, the wife of late Nitin Desai," a police official said.
According to the police, Khalapur police registered an FIR against five persons of ECL Finance company and Edelweiss. The allegations have been made that officials allegedly mentally tortured Nitin Desai regarding a loan which he had reportedly borrowed.
The development comes a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the role a private lending firm, from which Nitin Desai had taken loan, would be probed to know whether he was charged high interest and if he was under stress.
Speaking in the state legislative assembly, Devendra Fadnavis who holds the home department, said that legal aspects on how Nitin Desai's N D Studio at Karjat near Mumbai can be preserved or taken over by the government will be examined, according to the PTI.
Nitin Desai, the creator of lavish sets for films such as "Jodhaa Akbar" and "Lagaan" as well as the popular TV quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati", was found hanging at his studio on Wednesday.
Nitin Desai's company ND's Art World Pvt Ltd had borrowed Rs 185 crore through two loans from ECL Finance in 2016 and 2018, and troubles with repayments started from January 2020, according to the PTI.
Nitin Desai's company had defaulted on a Rs 252-crore loan to its financial creditor, according to an insolvency petition filed in a bankruptcy court last week. ECL Finance is a leading NBFC, promoted by the Edelweiss Group, the PTI reported.
Devendra Fadnavis was responding to BJP MLA Ashish Shelar's demand that the issue should not be treated just as a case of accidental death.
Through a point of order, Shelar demanded that Nitin Desai's death should not be treated just as a case of accidental death, but must be dealt with from a larger perspective.
Nitin Desai had made a name for himself in the field of art direction with his sheer talent and his accomplishments, the BJP MLA said.
