'Sachin Vaze was planning another big act' after Antilia plot: NIA Sources

Amid the investigation into the Antilia bomb scare, NIA sources, on Friday, have alleged that ex-Mumbai API Sachin Vaze was 'planning another big act after explosive planting near Antilia'. Moreover, NIA has clarified that the agency is ascertaining if former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma 'provided logistics support' and that ex-Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh's statement is being questioned 'as a witness not as a suspect'. The CBI, on the other hand, is investigating the 'extortion' allegations of ex-Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh against ex-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Sachin Vaze.

NIA claims "Sachin Vaze was planning another big act"

Earlier in the day, a special NIA court sent Vaze to judicial custody i.e Taloja jail till April 23 in connection to the Antilia bomb scare case. The court has also allowed CBI to access diaries belonging to Sachin Vaze and suspended constable Vinayak Shinde that were recovered by the NIA earlier. As per sources, Param Bir Singh reiterated his 'extortion' charge against former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and submitted the messages he received from ACP Patil. The former cop & Shiv Sena leader Pradeep Sharma is being questioned by NIA after suspended API Sachin Vaze allegedly named him in his confession. The Supreme Court has upheld the Bombay HC's order of allowing a 15-day CBI preliminary enquiry of Singh's 'charges'.

Antilia bomb scare & Mansukh Hiren death case

On February 25, at around 3 PM, a car (green Scorpio) laden with explosive gelatin sticks along with a threatening letter was found by Mumbai Police, outside the Ambani residence - Antilia. A primary investigation from the CCTV revealed that the car had been parked near the residence since 1 AM, intervening night on between Wednesday-Thursday. Later on March 5, Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the car in question, was found dead at the Kalwa creek - with police claiming that he committed suicide by jumping into the stream. With the deceased wife alleging murder, Maharashtra ATS probed and arrested a bookie and convicted cop Vinayak Shinde in connection with Hiren's murder.

Later, then-Mumbai API Sachin Vaze was arrested by NIA on March 20 for his alleged involvement in placing explosives in the aforementioned car, invoking UAPA against Vaze. While Vaze has been suspended again from police service, his superior - Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh has been transferred to Home Guards due to 'lapses' in the probe. He has sent an 8-page letter to CM Thackeray, HM Anil Deshmukh and Gov Koshyari alleging that Deshmukh had demanded Vaze to collect Rs 100 crores from 1750 pubs in Mumbai per month - Deshmukh has resigned from his post after a CBI enquiry has been ordered against him by Bombay HC.