Mumbai
Mumbai cop arrested over alleged role in placing explosive-laden car near Mukesh Ambani's house
New Delhi/IBNS: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Maharashtra Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze for his alleged role in placing an explosives-laden SUV car near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house last month.
After hours of questioning, the NIA took him into custody on late Saturday night in the agency's Mumbai office.
Vaze is also under investigation by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with two other related cases.
One of the cases relates to the death of Mansukh Hiran, a Thane-based businessman, whose car was found on Mumbai's Carmichael Road on February 25 with explosives.
The second case involves the same vehicle's theft as reported on February 17 by Hiran.
According to reports, the officer had allegedly borrowed the SUV for around four months till he returned it on February 5, Hiran's wife stated.
On Friday, Vaze had filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Thane district sessions court and sought interim protection from arrest.
He had said the case against him was "baseless" and a "witch-hunt" was initiated.
His plea for interim protection was rejected, as the court observed that his custodial interrogation was necessary.
The next hearing on his bail plea is now scheduled for March 19.
The NIA then summoned him to its office on Saturday where the ATS, too, joined in later.
Last week, the officer was moved out of the Mumbai crime branch to the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) at the police headquarters.
Earlier, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis had sought his arrest.
"Sachin Vaze should be punished. You are giving him the chance to destroy the evidence. And just because he (Vaze) entered a certain political party, he is being saved. How is he even taken in the force? He needs to be first suspended," Fadnavis was quoted as saying in media.
On Feb 25, an abandoned SUV with explosive materials was found near Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai.
Hours later, a bomb disposal squad found 20 gelatin sticks -material used in explosives- besides a handwritten letter addressed to the Reliance chairman and Nita Ambani.
A day later, the police learnt that the SUV was stolen and that its owner lived in Vikhroli, another part of the city.
The police had then recorded the statement of owner Hiren Mansukh, who was a spare car parts businessman. He had earlier reported the car got stolen.
On March 5, the owner of the SUV- a Scorpio-which was left abandoned with explosives near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai recently, was found dead.
On March 2, he had written a letter addressing Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Mumbai Police Commissioner alleging by police and journalists. Hiran had also pleaded for police protection and legal action against the intimidation.
In his letter, he had elaborated how the car was stolen and said that the police were harassing him.
He had told the police that he had done the interiors of the car owned by one Sam Muteb and had only reported the car's theft. He had not returned the car to its owner as he was not paid for the work, Deshmukh said.
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