In the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case, ‘encounter-specialist’ Police Inspector Sachin Vaze was taken under 12-day police custody on Saturday as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) found that it was Vaze’s car that was following the white SUV found outside Ambani’s residence laden with gelatin sticks and threat note. Esteemed news platform Indian Express quoted a senior IPS officer saying, “The vehicle was used by the CIU and parked in the Mumbai Police headquarters. After the NIA asked for the vehicle, it was handed over to them.”
NIA arrests Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze in connection with its investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai https://t.co/6AZvHH6rz2
— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2021
Also read: Mumbai high alert: Abandoned SUV with explosive material and threat letter found near Ambani house
On late Saturday, when the NIA took the case from CIU (Crime Intelligence Unit), Vaze allegedly confessed playing a role in the bomb scare case. The police officer was questioned by the NIA team led by Anil Shukla, Inspector General. The NIA will put Vaze in front of the holiday court and is seeking a further custody.
It should be noted that Vaze before being placed in the custody, filed an anticipatory plea at the Thane sessions court and sought a protection from the eminent arrest. The police inspector had alleged that the allegations against him were ‘baseless’ and part of a larger ‘witch-hunt’. However, the sessions court rejected the anticipatory plea and stayed its decision of having a custodial interrogation. Vaze will be appearing before the court on March 19.
Earlier on Saturday, the NIA in its plea said they were interested in investigating Vaze’s involvement in the bomb scare. The NIA in its plea also stated that it received some inputs about the cop’s involvement in placing the gelatine sticks that were found in the SUV near the Indian billionaire’s house. Although, the lawyers who represented Vaze argued in the court that Vaze was picked by the NIA solely on suspicion and his arrest was illegal as Vaze was not even informed by the NIA about the grounds of his arrest.
According to reports Vaze was under arrest under the following Sections of the Indian Penal Code: Sections 286 (Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), Section 465 (Punishment for forgery), Section 473 (Making counterfeit seal), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 120 B (Criminal Conspiracy). Moreover, he was also charged with the Section 4(a) (b) (c) (l) (Attempt to cause an explosion) of the Explosive Substance Act 1908).
Also read: Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case: phone seized from Tihar Jail
Shiv Sena Slams Centre’s Interference in Saamana
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana slammed the Central Government in their move of arresting Mumbai Police’s Sachin Vaze and termed it as a ‘vendetta’ against the Maharashtra government. In the Saamana editorial which was published on March 15, Shiv Sena claimed that Mumbai Police was perfectly capable of handling the Mukesh Ambani Bomb scare case. The editorial further alleged that the Centre-sent NIA team insulted the Mumbai Police force when it arrested decorated Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze.
Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece also claimed that the Maharashtra state government was aware of the situation’s severity and had transferred the case to the Anti-Terrorism Squad. But as the investigation was underway, the Centre snatched the case from the ATS and sent the NIA. Sena labelled the Centre’s move as an unwarranted interference. “If there is a chance of laying obstacles in the way of Maharashtra state agencies in their investigation, why should any of the investigating agencies of the Centre remain behind,” the editorial mocked the centre sarcastically.
Also read: Republic Day Violence: Shiv Sena alleges government provoked farmers to discredit the movement
The mouthpiece said, “Ambani is one of the foremost businessmen in the country, there should have been no lapse in his security. That is why twenty gelatine sticks found in the premises of his house and the subsequent death of Mansukh Hiren, both cases are serious. But Mumbai Police could not investigate the matter because of the NIA.”
Shiv Sena in the editorial equated the current situation of centre’s involvement with Sushant Singh Rajput case and alleged that Centre also needlessly meddled into the state matters back then. The editorial also mocked the NIA and said how the NIA could never curb the Kashmir arms struggle, but were rushed to investigate the explosives outside the Indian billionaire’s residence.
Further, it also touched upon the Pulwama attack and slammed the NIA saying, “It is still an enduring mystery as to how the cache of explosives made their way inside Pulwama and how 40 of our soldiers died in the blast. The movement of arms, explosives continue unabated on the Bihar-Nepal border. Even the situation on the Manipur-Myanmar border remains tensed and grim. In Naxal prone areas, entire factories of arms and explosives are built, there is anti-national conspiracies abound, but the NIA never visits such places. They could only sniff the gelatine sticks.”
The editorial continued attacking the Central government and alleged how the Central Government in a habitual manner keeps involving central investigative agencies in Maharashtra during troublesome incidents.