Mumbai, Oct 22 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to dismissed police officer Sachin Waze bail in a corruption case also involving former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.
A division bench headed by Justice M S Sonak granted bail to Waze and said the conditions for the same shall be set by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.
The dismissed police officer will, however, continue to remain in jail as he is in judicial custody in the ‘Antilia’ bomb scare case lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Waze, who is presently in judicial custody, had sought to be released on bail claiming that he is an approver in the case, and on the grounds of parity as well as citing that the other accused in the case are out on bail.
Waze’s counsel Aabad Ponda had said keeping him in jail even after he was declared as an approver was violation of fundamental rights.
The CBI had opposed the plea stating that Waze had not deposed in the case so far and it would not be in the best interest of the case to release him on bail.
He was declared an approver by the special CBI court in June 2022.
Waze was arrested in March 2021 for his alleged role in the case of an explosives-laden vehicle found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai and the murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.
The high court, in April 2021, had directed the CBI to carry out a preliminary inquiry into allegations of corruption and misuse of official power by Deshmukh made by former police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The CBI, based on this inquiry, registered an FIR against Deshmukh and his associates as well as Waze.
Singh had alleged that Deshmukh, who was the home minister then, had directed the police personnel to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in Mumbai.
He had also alleged that Waze, who was suspended earlier after being accused in an alleged fake encounter case, was reinstated and was allegedly collecting money on behalf of Deshmukh.
The other accused in the case are Deshmukh’s former aides Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde. All three of them are currently out on bail. PTI SP NP
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