Special NIA court rejects Sachin Vaze's plea seeking private audience with his legal team

In a setback for suspended Mumbai API Sachin Vaze, a special NIA court on Friday, rejected his petition to meet his lawyers privately. Vaze's legal team had applied for permission to meet Vaze in privacy for a specific period, without NIA officers being present. Currently, Vaze is in NIA custody till March 25, in connection to the Antilla bomb scare case. Moreover, Maharashtra ATS, which is probing into Mansukh Hiran's death has reportedly sought Vaze's custody, filing its reply in a Thane court. The next hearing is on March 30.

NIA seizes several luxury cars

NIA, which is probing into the explosives-laden car which was found outside Ambani's residence (Antilla) on February 25, have seized  Sachin Vaze's laptop, some mobile phones, iPad, and documents from Vaze's office. They have also seized several luxury cars from Vaze's office and home and questioned several other police officers from Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) like Mumbai Police API Riyaz Kazi. NIA has now claimed that Sachin Vaze had worn excessive-sized clothes (kurta-pyjamas) to conceal his identity on February 25 when the explosives-laden car was seen near Antilla, citing from CCTV footage from the site.

Vaze & Hiran's connection

Vaze was arrested by 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 Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai on February 25. Maharashtra's Leader of opposition  Devendra Fadnavis had produced CD-R call records of Vaze claiming that he was in constant touch with Hiran, while Hiran's wife has alleged that her husband's car was allegedly in Vaze's possession since November 2020. Amid this probe, Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh has been transferred due to lapses in the probe, as stated by the Maharashtra state government.

Car with gelatin sticks found near Antilla

On 25 February, at around 3 PM, the Mumbai Police received information of a suspicious car parked outside the residence of Mukesh Ambani. The Police team reached the spot immediately with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS). The car (green Scorpio) was spotted by security personnel outside his residence. Loaded with explosive gelatin sticks, the car was towed away by the bomb disposal squad. 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, with a threatening letter too found in the car.

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. However, Hiren's wife Vimla alleged that her husband had left the house on the night of March 4 to meet an officer from the Kandivali crime branch, and did not return home. Furthermore, autopsy results showed several abrasions on Hiran's face and a cloth stuffed into his mouth, leading to an investigation. While NIA is probing into the bomb scare, Maharashtra ATS is probing into Mansukh Hiran's alleged murder.