Role of creditors to be probed in Nitin Desai death case: Devendra Fadnavis

A day after renowned art director Nitin Desai was found dead, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the role a private lending firm, from which 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, Fadnavis who holds the home department, said legal aspects on how Desai's N D Studio at Karjat near Mumbai can be preserved or taken over by the government will be examined. Fadnavis was responding to BJP MLA Ashish Shelar's demanded that the issue should not be treated just as a case of accidental death.

Desai had made a name for himself in the field of art direction with this sheer talent and his accomplishments, the BJP MLA said. It is a tragic that the winner of four National Awards had to end life in this manner, he had taken a loan of Rs 180 crore for the ND Studio, which rose to 252 crore. This brings forward the functioning of the leading system by Rashesh Shah and Edelweiss ARC company, Shelar alleged.

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. Desai's company had defaulted on a Rs 252 crore to its financial creditor, according to an insolvency petition filed in a bankruptcy court last week.