Mumbai: The NIA court has directed the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to preserve station diary, visitor books and other records maintained by the agency between March 2021 to May 2021, in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and subsequent murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiren.
About The Order
The order came on the plea of dismissed police officer Sunil Mane, who pleaded for furnishing and preserving NIA’s data/documents, including the station diary, visitor book and inward and outward register maintained by the NIA from March 13, 2021, to May 31, 2021.
While seeking these records, Mane said, he is entitled to those documents to establish his defence to prove innocence at the relevant stage for a fair trial. On the other hand, the NIA opposed his arguments and contended that documents are privileged documents and related to the day-to-day functioning of the NIA, including information on other cases. It further contended that the application of the accused is vague and not specific.
Observation Made By The Court
The court, while allowing Mane’s plea observed, “The bone contention of the applicant is that those documents are important to be preserved to put his defence at the proper stage. If it is so then, the right of the accused to preserve the documents to put his defence at the proper stage cannot be denied. On the other hand, it must be protected."
