The Nariman Point Hotel was booked for Sachin Waze by a businessman for 100 days.
New Delhi:
Arrested Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze was executing his alleged extortion from a room in a five-star Nariman Point hotel reserved for him for 100 days at a cost of Rs 12 lakh by a businessman, the National Agency investigation revealed. Research (NIA). The policeman had used a false identity to register at the property, it shows. The investigating body, which is investigating the recent bomb threat against industrialist Mukesh Ambani, has also questioned several police officers in connection with the affairs of their now-suspended colleague. Some of them could possibly be arrested in the near future, NIA officials said.
The investigation shows that Waze, a shooting specialist, operated out of hotel room number 1964, where he checked in with a forged Aadhaar card and the assumed name Sushant Sadashiv Khamkar.
“A businessman had booked this hotel for 100 days and for Rs 12 lakh. Waze was assisting this businessman in a dispute,” stated a senior NIA official. The reservation was made through a travel agent, the officer said, adding that the suspended police officer had stayed there in February while reporting to work at the Crime Bureau.
Mr. Waze allegedly entered the hotel in an Innova on February 16 and left on February 20 in a Land Cruiser; both vehicles were later seized by the NIA. “The dates also coincide with those when he and members of his team were raiding various establishments in Mumbai overnight for license violations,” explained a senior NIA official.
The agency, investigating the Ambani threat, arrested the policeman on March 13 for his alleged role in placing an explosive-laden vehicle near the residence of the head of Reliance Industries on Carmichael Road in South Mumbai. He is also investigating the mysterious death of Thane Mansukh Hiran’s businessman, who is traced to the SUV found near Antilia. Waze, who initially investigated the bomb threat case, is now also the prime suspect in Hiran’s case.
The agency has conducted searches of another hotel and club in South Mumbai and an apartment in neighboring Thane on Thursday in connection with its Ambani security alarm investigation. The agency also detained a female Waze associate at the airport yesterday, according to the report. The registered flat in Thane’s Mira Road area was allegedly owned by this woman.
The terrorism investigation body has questioned 35 officials up to the rank of Deputy Police Commissioner in relation to these two cases. “We have recorded some statements; the rest, we have spoken orally,” an NIA official told NDTV, indicating that some of the officers questioned could be arrested in the next few days as their complicity in Waze matters was infallible.
“Senior police officials were very aware of the type of business Waze was conducting. We have enough evidence to prove it,” said a senior official. “We are in no rush to arrest the officers,” said another.
The NIA has inspected said hotel room and seized CCTV footage to see who found Waze there.
“I was working out many settlements for many influential people, but since we are not an agency to investigate anti-corruption matters, we would pass the evidence to the relevant agencies,” said another NIA official.
While state police initially halted the NIA investigation, they relented somewhat after the latter recovered a Merceded-Benz connected to Waze on February 16. “They knew we were on the right track. At first there was a problem removing the Mumbai Police Commissioner, but a day later (March 17) he was removed to avoid embarrassment,” said an NIA official.
The Mumbai High Court has reserved its order to a request from the city’s former chief of police, Param Bir Singh, seeking an IWC investigation into the alleged corruption of state Interior Minister Anil Deshmukh, of which he was a member. Waze extortion part.
The court posed serious questions to Mr. Singh, asking him why they did not file FIRs based on their own allegations.
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