Sachin Vaze's lawyers' plea to meet him in private to be heard in court; CIU team at NIA

With Param Bir Singh now removed from his erstwhile post as Mumbai's Police Commissioner, in the latest development in the 'Vazegate' scandal that's hit the Mumbai Police, suspended API Sachin Vaze's legal team has sought permission to meet the arrested police officer in private and has filed a plea before a special NIA court seeking the same.

Sachin Vaze was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday night under Sections 286, 465, 473, 506(2), 120 B of the IPC, and 4(a)(b)(I)Explosive Substances Act 1908 for his alleged role & involvement in an explosives-laden vehicle being placed near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house Antilia in Mumbai on February 25. As per sources, Sachin Vaze's legal team has sought permission to meet the suspended police officer without the presence of an NIA officer. The special NIA court in Mumbai will hear the matter on Thursday. 

This comes even as 5 members of the Mumbai Police's CIU branch, which Vaze was effectively heading before his arrest, are currently being questioned by the NIA. Vaze had been taken to locations at Mahim Creek, while officials had also raided his residence in Thane.

Sachin Vaze concealed his identity: NIA

Earlier on Wednesday, the NIA had disclosed that the data on the laptop seized from suspended Mumbai Police API Sachin Vaze was found to have been deleted, and added that Vaze also claimed to have dropped his mobile phone somewhere when he was asked for it. On Monday, the NIA had recovered Sachin Vaze's laptop, some mobile phones, iPad, and documents from Vaze's office at the Mumbai Police's CIU. The disclosure on deleted data came after the NIA revealed that Sachin Vaze, who has been remanded to its custody till March 25, had been concealing his identity outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence on February 25 where a gelatin sticks-laden SUV was found. The NIA has informed that Sachin Vaze had worn excessive-sized clothes (kurta-pyjamas) to conceal his identity while also trying to hide his body language on February 25. 

Fadnavis says he was pressuirzed to reinstate Vaze

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fandnavis alleged that businessman Mansukh Hiren had been murdered, citing the post-mortem report which allegedly showed that there was no water in his lungs. Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday, BJP leader Fadnavis claimed that he was pressurized by Shiv Sena to reinstate a tainted Sachin Vaze into service while he was Maharashtra CM and that he had refused to do so. Vaze was reinstated in the Mumbai Police in 2020 during the Coronavirus outbreak and was given charge of several high-profile cases, Fadnavis further pointed out.  

"The most important question is, why was API Sachin Vaze reinstated? He was suspended in 2004. He gave the VRS in 2007. After that, his VRS was not accepted because there was an impending enquiry against him. When I was the CM in 2018, Shiv Sena had been pressurising us to reinstate API Sachin Vaze. At that time, I looked at his past record and decided that I would take the suggestion of the Advocate General. I did seek his advice and the AG told me that Vaze has been suspended and there is an enquiry by the High Court in the matter, which is why reinstating him would not be right. That is when I decided against reinstating him into the force," the former Maharashtra CM said on Wednesday while addressing a press conference.  

NIA's Vazegate probe

On Tuesday evening, NIA had seized a black luxury Mercedez car from which cash amounting of Rs 5 lakhs, some clothes, and a cash counting machine were recovered. Moreover, the NIA revealed that it has recovered the same number plate that was used on the Scorpio car outside Antilia from the Mercedez which was parked at the Mumbai Police HQ, and even more importantly, stated that Sachin Vaze had used the Mercedes. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Mumbai Police API Riyaz Kazi had been questioned in the Antilia bomb scare probe by the NIA for the third consecutive day. Kazi had allegedly turned up at Sachin Vaze's housing society with a letter seeking CCTV footage on behalf of the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU). As per Kirit Somaiya, he walked away with copious footage and related details. The agency had begun an investigation into the case shortly after the owner of the Scorpio, a businessman named Mansukh Hiren was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Kalwa creek, with his wife later completely refuting the Mumbai Police's original theory of suicide, and stated that Sachin Vaze had been in possession of the car since at least November 2020. To be sure, media reports have claimed that the same car had even been present on November 4 when Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had been arrested from his home, where Vaze had been present. The Maharashtra ATS is also investigating the alleged murder of Mansukh Hiren.