IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Mar 14:
Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze was arrested on late Saturday night by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe his alleged role in the conspiracy to plant an explosive-laden vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in South Mumbai on February 25.
Vaze was produced in the City Sessions court located at Kalaghoda in South Mumbai, before Holiday Judge to seek his custody on Sunday. The hearing was on at the time of filing his report.
The charges under sections 286, 465, 473, 506 (2), 120 (B) of IPC and other sections of the Explosives Substances Act 1908, have been filed against Vaze.
The Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze was questioned for nearly 12 hours by an NIA team led by Inspector General (IG) Anil Shukla through out the day on Saturday and as formally placed under arrest at 11.50 PM on Saturday. “Sachin Vaze is part of the group that planted the explosive-laden Scorpio on Carmichael Road (near Antilia) on February 25,” a top NIA official said.
The NIA recorded Vaze’s statement to find out the sequence of events as he was initially heading the probe and also for his connection to the man linked to the vehicle found with 20 gelatin sticks near the billionaire’s residence in Mumbai.
Vaze was named in a statement to police by Vimla Hiran, the widow of Thane’s Mansukh Hiran, who claimed ownership of the vehicle parked outside Ambani’s house and was later found dead in a Kalwa creek in Thane on March 05. The 45-year-old auto-parts dealer’s widow told the police that the explosives-laden Scorpio belonged to one Dr Peter Newton and had been with them for the past three years.
She said that Hiran lent the SUV to Vaze in November 2020 and the vehicle was sent back to his shop in Thane on February 05 this year. It was alleged that Vaze was also forcing the Thane businessman to take the blame for the case on him and surrender to the police
Vaze anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Thane sessions court on Friday. The Thane sessions judge set March 19 as the next date of hearing in connection with a separate case registered by the Anti Terrorists Squad in Hiran’s alleged murder.
On his Whatsapp status Vaze stated that “This an attempt to falsely implicate me as was done in 2004. That time I had 17 years in my hand. Now I don’t have many years. I don’t wish to survive. Goodbye”.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam demanded a Narco test of Sachin Vaze be conducted. Whehreas Shiv Sena MP Sanjau Raut said in a tweet that once’s image can be tarnished but once’s good work cannot be obliterated.
