Mansukh Hiren, the 'owner' of an explosive-laden SUV found in the proximity of Antilia a few days ago and whose body was recovered from Reti Bunder Creek in Thane on Friday morning, had written a letter to Mumbai and Thane police commissioner about his alleged harassment at the hands of policemen and news reporters.
In the letter which was also addressed to Chief Minister and Deputy CM, he was seeking intervention and protection for himself and his family from the said harassment.
Hiren whose SUV car containing explosives was recovered barely 600 meters away from the "Antilia" residence of Industrialist Mukesh Ambani on February 25 was an important link in the case. He was missing since Thursday night and his body was recovered a day later from the creek.
In the letter dated March 2, Hiren alleged that he had been treated like an accused despite being a victim.
These interrogations from the various agencies have disturbed his peace of mind and in spite of being a victim he was treated as an accused, he said in the letter.
In the letter Hiren has said, since February 25 when it was established that the car belongs to him, several police units along with Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and National Investigation Agency have called him several times for questioning.
In the letter which is in the possession of the Free Press Journal, Hiren has said that API Sachin Vaze had interrogated him at length and repeatedly asked the same question, again and again, Vaze in charge of the Criminal Intelligence Unit of the crime branch was previously handling the case before it was transferred to ACP Nitin Alakhnure. Both the cases including Antilia and Hiren's death are now transferred to ATS.
He also wrote that he had been receiving calls from many journalists from newspapers and TV channels who were also harassing him and his family unnecessarily. I am being harassed without having any knowledge about the culprits who not only committed theft of my car but also misused it. I have already given my explanation and statements, he said in the letter.
According to his wife Vimla, "his husband couldn't commit suicide, on Thursday he received a call from one Tawade purportedly calling crime branch unit 11 in Kandivali and asked him to come at Ghodbunder after which he left in an autorickshaw around 8 pm. When he did not return his family approached Naupada police station and filed a missing complaint on Friday morning, hours later his body was found from Reti Bunder Creek in Thane.
In a video which was recorded just after removing his body from the creek several handkerchiefs were seemed tied to his mouth, the Thane police are yet to make and official comment on this as well as on the post mortem report which was conducted on Friday night.
