'Mansukh Hiren death case isn't solved yet': Devendra Fadnavis after Sachin Vaze sent to NIA custody till March 25

After Mumbai Police's Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze was sent to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody in connection with the case involving an abandoned SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Vaze's arrest has raised questions on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Fadnavis said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh were protecting him. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) added that Mansukh Hiren's death case is yet to be solved.

"Sachin Waze's arrest raised questions on govt. Maharashtra CM & HM were protecting him as if they were his lawyers. I think only one angle has come out but Mansukh Hiren death case isn't solved yet. Probe will reveal who was involved & what was the intention," Fadnavis said.

"API Sachin Waze was suspended by High Court for 16 years. When I was CM, Shiv Sena leaders demanded to revoke his suspension. The new government took him back giving an excuse of COVID. He was made Crime Intelligence Unit's chief & was given major cases," he added.

For the uninitiated, Vaze was arrested late on Saturday night by the NIA after questioning him for 12 hours. On Sunday, he was produced before the court at around 3 pm. Later, he was sent to NIA custody till March 25.

The agency has booked him in the bomb scare case for criminal conspiracy, negligent conduct with respect for explosive substance, forgery and criminal intimidation among another sections.

Before his arrest on Saturday, Vaze had posted a status on his Whatsapp in which he referred to his being framed by the CID in a case in 2004. He was referring to the Khwaja Yunus custodial death case which had led to his suspension. He was reinstated only last year. He said in the status message, “My fellow officers are on to falsely trap me."

Vaze’s anticipatory bail application was on Friday rejected before a Thane court in the Mansukh Hiren death case in which the ATS has registered offence against unknown persons. It was Hiren that the Scorpio in which gelatin sticks were found, was tracked to. While rejecting his plea, the court had said that it found that on 27 and 28 February the deceased was along with Vaze.