The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant bail to former policeman Pradeep Sharma arrested in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the killing of businessman Mansukh Hiran, but expressed anguish about the manner in which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had probed the case.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and R N Laddha noted that the NIA's probe was silent on the co-conspirators involved with dismissed policeman Sachin Waze in planting gelatin sticks in an SUV parked it outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani.
The agency has not done an "in- depth" investigation, it said.
On February 25, 2021, an explosives-laden SUV was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence 'Antilia' in south Mumbai. Businessman Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5 last year.
"We express some anguish in the manner in which the NIA has investigated the charge of conspiracy of parking of the Scorpio vehicle near the residence of a prominent businessman and planting of gelatin sticks in the said vehicle, on February 24 and 25, 2021," the court said.
It further noted that the NIA was silent on persons with whom Waze had conspired to plant the gelatin sticks.
"We, prima facie, find that the NIA has not done investigation with regard to the same i.E. With respect to the co-conspirators involved in planting of gelatin sticks in the Scorpio vehicle," the court said.