Antilia bomb scare: NIA seeks 30 more days to file charge sheet as accused file bail pleas

In a fresh plea moved before a special court in Mumbai, the NIA sought an extension of 30 days to file the charge sheet in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder cases. This comes as the accused including Sachin Vaze, Riyazuddin Kazi and Sunil Mane have sought default bail citing the failure of the central agency to file the charge sheet within 90 days of the probe. On June 9 itself, Special Judge Prashant Sitre had granted the NIA a 60-day extension to file the charge sheet.

However, the NIA asserted that the extended period of investigation was utilized in the probe against 5 newly arrested accused and the detailed analysis of the seized documents. Arguing that it was not possible to complete the investigation in the current timeframe, it sought more time for further analysis of the documents. The central agency also claimed in the court that the accused were paid Rs.45 lakh to kill businessman Mansukh Hiren after the Antilia bomb scare. 

Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren's death

At around 3 pm on February 25, the security officer of Antilia- Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai informed the Gamdevi Police Station of a suspicious 4-wheeler being parked on Carmichael Road. 20 sticks of gelatin and a threatening note typewritten in English were recovered from the Mahindra Scorpio. The case took a new dimension after the vehicle's owner Mansukh Hiren was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

While Hiren's wife accused Vaze of being responsible for her husband's death, ex-Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis produced Call Detail Record claiming that the Assistant Police Inspector was in constant touch with the deceased. In her complaint, Hiren's wife also alleged that the aforesaid car was in Vaze's possession since November 2020. On March 8, the NIA took over the Antilia bomb scare case and registered an FIR under Sections 120 B, 286, 465, 473 and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4(a)(b)(i) of The Explosive Substances Act.

After being grilled for nearly 12 hours on March 13, Vaze was arrested by the NIA and remanded to its custody till March 25 subsequently. The NIA examined various luxury cars used by Vaze and recreated the crime scene. While the Central agency also took over the probe into Mansukh Hiren's death on March 20, the Maharashtra ATS continued to investigate the case. In fact, it even arrested convicted cop Vinayak Shinde and bookie Naresh Gaur for their role in the crime.

However, the ATS handed over the probe to the NIA only on March 24 after the Thane Sessions Court's order in this regard. Police Inspector Sunil Mane and Assistant Police Inspector Riyazuddin Kazi were also taken into custody during further investigation. Subsequently, Vaze, Mane and Kazi were dismissed from the force by Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale. At present, all the accused persons including former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma are in judicial custody.