The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file reply to a petition by dismissed cop Sachin Vaze, arrested in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and death of businessman Mansukh Hiran, challenged invoking of the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He has also challenged the investigation by the NIA.
A bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Monday directed the NIA to file its reply and kept the plea for hearing on September 23.
After going through Vaze’s 185-page petition, which he sent from jail, the bench asked if it was a thesis. “Is this a petition or a thesis? It has quoted Oscar Wilde and all. This seems like a thesis for a PhD,” the bench said.
Vaze’s counsel Aabad Ponda said the accused is in jail with nothing to do but this. Vaze’s plea has sought to be released forthwith pending hearing of the petition. Ponda submitted that UAPA was wrongly invoked in the case and that the NIA began its probe even before the Act was applied in the case. “The provisions of UAPA cannot be applied in cases all and sundry. This is just a case of gelatins recovered outside someone’s residence. There was no terror caused,” Ponda argued.
Ponda said that the central agency took over the probe even before the order was passed by the Centre.
The HC then sought a response from the NIA.
On February 25, 2021, 20 gelatine sticks and a threat note were recovered in a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle near business tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s house. Subsequently, businessman Mansukh Hiran was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5, 2021.
Vaze was arrested in the case on March 13. Nine others have been arrested for their alleged role in the offences.
According to the NIA, the motive behind Vaze’s alleged crime was to re-establish himself as a “super cop” to regain the lost glory following his reinstatement in the Mumbai Police force in 2020, after 16 years.
In September 2021, the MHA had granted sanction to prosecute Vaze under UAPA for leaving an explosive-laden 4x4 near Antilia, house of Ambani, and subsequent murder of Hiran.
