A special court that last week denied bail to retired encounter cop Pradeep Sharma in the Antilia-Mansukh Hiran murder case, has observed while doing so in its detailed order that the circumstances brought on record by the prosecution prima facie establish the involvement of Pradeep Sharma in the offence as a co-conspirator.
His advocate had argued that as per the agency’s allegations, his role came into being post the incident of parking of explosive-laden vehicle outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and hence that terror charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are not applicable to him.
The court said that the act intended to strike terror in the mind of people and hence though his role comes into the picture with regard to the conspiracy to eliminate Mansukh Hiran, prima facie the fact cannot be ruled out that the conspiracy to eliminate Mansukh Hiran was hatched as he was a weak link and under the apprehension that he may spill the beans.
Regarding his involvement in the murder, it said, that even if his role was only pertaining to the conspiracy towards the murder, still the offence is of a serious nature and the gravity increases when the perpetrators are police officials or a retired police official like Sharma.
"Prima facie the offence was a result of a pre-planned conspiracy and that too hatched by police officers," it stated.
Special Judge under the NIA Act AT Wankhede added that therefore, the offence is of immense serious nature. "Protector of the life of people, themselves took away the life of a human," it said.
Sharma, who had taken early retirement from police service, had been arrested on June 17 last year and is currently lodged in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.
The NIA alleges he had hired henchmen for the murder of Hiran for which he received a huge sum from the main accused Sachin Vaze and had attended several meetings for the same in the police commissioner’s office. He is also said to have arranged the henchmen, who are now his co-accused, to flee to Nepal after the murder.
