Mumbai: In two developments that took place before a special court conducting the Antilia bomb scare and a related murder case, - the prosecution on Thursday strongly opposed the bail application filed by the case’s main accused - dismissed policeman Sachin Vaze calling his plea a ‘standard strategy’ to waste the court’s time.
In the second development, the court called for encounter specialist and Vaze’s co-accused Pradeep Sharma’s medical reports and details of visitors from Sasoon Hospital after the prosecution levelled allegations of his overstay and visits to him by convicts.
NIA: Life imprisonment or death for such offences
In April, Vaze had filed a bail plea terming the explosives to terrorise industrialist Mukesh Ambani ‘silly’ as they were ‘non-explodable and low quality’ and that as a police officer he was aware that the industrialist and his family were the “most strongly guarded” private family in the country. Thus, he could not think of committing such a crime. In its response filed before the special court on Thursday, the prosecution - the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said the maximum punishment for the offences he is charged with, such as under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is life imprisonment or death and on this ground he cannot be granted bail.
Vaze had also claimed bail alleging delay in trial by the NIA. Countering his charge, the central agency said the delay is not due to it, but the court proceedings records speak volumes. It said the delay was due to the defence. It further called him a ‘main conspirator’ and said the evidence was based on circumstantial evidence and conspiracy and the chain of circumstances “point an unerring finger” on his role. It further said he would abscond if released on bail and called him “highly influential” being an ex-police officer. If released, he would certainly influence the witnesses, the NIA said.
Sharma overstaying at hospital, alleges NIA
On Thursday, the NIA, for the second time in recent months, pointed out before the special court that ex-policeman Pradeep Sharma was overstaying at Sasoon Hospital. The prosecutor told the court that he has stayed at the hospital for 259 days in his three stays. It also informed the court that apart from his family members, three convicts of the Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case (in which Sharma was acquitted) have visited him in prison. It was upon the NIA’s plea that the special court ordered that jail authority must obtain medical report from the hospital on the necessity of his hospital stay. Special Judge AM Patil also called for a list of his visitors at the hospital and directed that these be submitted to the court at the earliest.
In January, after the NIA had complained of Sharma’s overstay, the court had ordered his discharge after going through the medical reports. In April, the court was informed by Yerwada jail authorities that he had again got admitted at the hospital.
In yet another development, Vaze on Thursday sought a temporary bail. He claimed that as per a provision of Maharashtra Police Act - that he claimed applies to him as the acts allegedly committed are connected with him being a police officer - he is protected from vexatious prosecution. He also pointed out that in view of this, there is a time limit for initiating prosecution - of two years, which he claimed had lapsed. Thus, the entire proceedings in the case against him should be quashed, he pleaded.
