The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge-sheet against 10 accused, including police officers a a convicted constables, in the sensational case involving the recovery of an explosive-laden SUV the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in south Mumbai and the subsequent suspected murder of the vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran.
In a voluminous charge-sheet filed in a Special NIA Special Court here, the NIA charged the ten accused – including dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspectors Sachin Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, yesteryear encounter-specialist Pradeep Sharma, convicted constable Vinayak Shinde – with various offences under various sections of Indian Penal Code for murder, cheating, conspiracy and also various sections of the Arms Act, Explosive Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Apart from Waze, Kazi, Sharma and Shinde, the others who have been named in the charge-sheet are: Naresh R. Gor, Sunil D. Mane, Santosh A. Shelar, Manish V. Soni, Anand P. Jadhav and Satish T. Mothkuri.
The NIA has based its charge-sheet on three FIRs it registered in connection with the twin incidents. While the first FIR registered at the Gamdevi police station relates to the recovery of a Mahindra Scorpio Vehicle on Carmichael Road, Mumbai during the intervening night of February 24 and 25, 2021 with 20 Gelatine Sticks Explosive and a threat note addressed to Mukesh Ambani.
The second FIR registered with at the Vikhroli Police Stationn relates to theft of the seized Mahindra Scorpio vehicle, while the third FIR registered at Mumbra police station relates to the recovery of Mansukh Hiran’s body from the nearby creek on March 5, 2021.
“During the investigations, incriminating evidences came to fore against the ten arrested accused involved in various stages of conspiracy of placing explosive laden Mahindra Scorpio vehicle, its theft and commission of murder of Mansukh Hiran,” the CBI said in a statement.
The IPC sections invoked against the accused in the case relate to criminal conspiracy, destroying evidences to escape the consequences, negligence with explosives, abduction with intent to kill, extortion with threats of death or physical harm, grabbing property, criminal breach of trust by public servant, forgery and forging documents of electronic evidence to pass them off as genuine, possession of a fake seal to commit forgery, common intentions, etc.
Under the UAPA, the NIA has invoked sections pertaining to terrorism, terror conspiracy and being members of a terror group. Being serious in nature, the serious charges slapped against the accused attract heavy punishment.
Vaze was the first accused to have been arrested by the NIA which registered an FIR in the explosive-laden SUV recovery case on March 8.
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).
On April 11, the NIA arrested Kazi, a close associate of Vaze, in connection with the twin explosive laden SUV planting and alleged Mansukh Hiran murder cases
The NIA booked Vaze, Gor and other accused in connection the suspicious death of businessman Mansuk Hiran
It may be recalled that Hiran’s body was recovered from the marshy Reti-Bunder creek Mumbra in the neighbouring Thane district on March 5, 2021.
Hiran, a Thane-based businessman whose “stolen” SUV with 20 gelatin sticks was recovered by the police near Industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s skyscraper mansion “Antilia” in south Mumbai on February 25, 2021 hit the headlines after his body was found in mysterious circumstances on March 5.
Hiran (48), who was into the car accessories business, had reportedly been missing from his Thane home since March 4, a day before the recovery of his body from the Mumbra creek.