Invoking Article 311(2) (B) of the Constitution of India, the Maharashtra Government has dismissed the suspended controversial police officer Sachin Vaze, who is the prime accused in the twin cases of explosive-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and subsequent alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, from the service.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale on Tuesday issued the order dismissing Vaze. “The order was issued today under the provisions of Section 311 (2) (B) of Constitution of India by the Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai,” the Mumbai police said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Forty-nine-year Vaze is currently in judicial custody in connection with the twin sensational cases.
Vaze was an Assistant Police Inspector of the Mumbai Police attached to the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime Branch-CID.
However, in the wake of the SUV planting case, he was transferred to the Special Branch and then attached to the Citizen Facilitation Centre.
Vaze, who was the first accused to have been arrested by the NIA on March 13 five days after it registered an FIR in the explosive-laden SUV recovery case, was earlier suspended from the service by the Maharashtra Government on the same day.
Vaze, who was arrested on March 13 in connection with the gelatine sticks laden Scorpion recovery case, was earlier booked under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 465 (forgery) 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal) and 506 -2 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 4 (a)(b)(i) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
Vaze was subsequently booked under sections 16 (Punishment for Terror act) and 18 (Punishment for conspiracy etc) of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Vaze was subsequently named as a prime accused in the case involving the alleged murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran. It may be recalled that the police had recovered 20 gelatin sticks and a letter were recovered from what was later described as Mahindra Scorpio that was found abandoned in the vicinity of Mukesh Ambani’s 27-storey residence “Antilia” on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai on February 25.
After joining the State police force in 1990 as a Sub-Inspector, Vaze was initially posted in the Naxalite-infested Gadchiroli district. Later on he was posted in Thane.
Vaze became one of “encounter specialists” He eliminated several gangsters including those belonging to the Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan gangs.
He had in all 63 encounter killings to his credit.
It may be recalled that on 3 March 2004, Vaze was suspended along with 14 other policemen for the alleged custodial death of Khwaja Yunus, a suspect in the December 2, 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blast case.
Vaze subsequently resigned from the police on November 30 2007 after requests for his reinstatement were rejected by the Maharashtra government.
The Maharashtra government revoked his suspension and reinstated him in the Mumbai police on June 6, 2020 – after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown during which there was shortage of police staff.