Sachin Vaze’s advance bail statement was rejected by a Thane court on Friday.
Bombay:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Maharashtra Police Assistant Inspector Sachin Vaze for his alleged role in placing an explosives-laden vehicle near the residence of Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani last month. He was arrested last night at the end of interrogation hours at the agency’s office in the state capital.
Vaze is also being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) in connection with two other related cases: the first involves the death of Mansukh Hiran, a Thane-based businessman whom the car found on Carmichael Road in Mumbai on February 25. was tracked down. The second refers to the theft of the same vehicle as reported on February 17 by the auto parts dealer. The officer allegedly borrowed the van for about four months until he returned it on February 5, according to Hiran’s wife, who also alleged her involvement in her husband’s death.
On Friday, Mr. Vaze filed an advance bond in the Thane district session court and requested provisional protection from arrest, calling the case against him “unfounded” and a “witch hunt.” His request for provisional protection was rejected and the court found that his interrogation in custody was necessary. A hearing on his bond statement is scheduled for March 19. The NIA summoned him to their office yesterday, where the ATS also joined later.
Last week, the officer was transferred from the Mumbai crime section to the Citizen Facilitation Center (CFC) at the police headquarters. A day earlier, on Tuesday, the former Maharashtra chief minister and opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis, had requested his arrest. After his transfer to CFC, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said: “Sachin Vaze is not Osama Bin Laden. It is not correct to target a person, hang him and then investigate.”
The BJP today demanded that Vaze be subjected to a narco-analysis and claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray government was openly trying to protect him. Mr. Vaze, during a previous period of suspension from service, had joined the Shiv Sena, who now heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi state dispensation.
“Is the government concerned that if Sachin Vaze is questioned, the investigation will come to the government with new revelations?” BJP state spokesman Ram Kadam asked Chief Minister Thackeray today in a letter. “Will the Maharashtra government have the courage to put Sachin Vaze through a drug test?”
The explosive-laden Mahindra Scorpio was found near Ambani’s residence in South Mumbai with a threatening letter inside. Police traced the vehicle to Mr. Hiran, but claimed it was stolen a week earlier. The case turned murkier when the Thane-based merchant himself was found dead in a stream near the town of Mumbra on March 5.
Meanwhile, a message claiming responsibility for placing the vehicle was posted on Telegram on February 27 at night. He demanded a cryptocurrency ransom, according to police. Later, the Telegram channel was traced to a barracks in Delhi’s Tihar jail, where Indian mujahideen terrorist Tehseen Akhtar is held, police sources told NDTV.
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