Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the recovery of a vehicle laden with explosives from outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, on Sunday seized a white Innova car, a police official said.
It is not clear if it was the same Innova that was following the explosives-laden Scorpio before the latter was parked near Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai on February 25.
According to the police official, the Innova, having Tardeo RTO’s registration number ‘MH 01 ZA 403’ and ‘Police’ written on its rear windshield, was brought to the NIA’s office on Pedder Road here with the help of a towing van, hours after the arrest of Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the case.
The NIA arrested Waze late Saturday night after questioning him for 12 hours over the recovery of the explosive-laden Scorpio near Ambani’s residence.
The Scorpio found parked near Ambani’s house on Carmichael Road on February 25 contained some gelatin sticks and a threat letter.
Waze, an “encounter specialist”, is also facing heat in the murder case of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran who was in possession of this Scorpio. Hiran was found dead in a creek in Thane district on March 5.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is investigating the Hiran murder case. It had registered an FIR against unidentified persons days after Hiran’s body was found.
Waze, accused by Hiran’s wife of involvement in her husband’s suspicious death, was shunted out of the Mumbai crime branch a few days back.
Also read: The mystery of Ambani bomb threat — gelatin in SUV, murky death of its owner & a Mumbai cop
Will take appropriate action based on findings, says Deshmukh
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday said that appropriate action will be taken based on investigation agencies’ findings in the Antilia bomb scare case.
“The recovery of gelatin sticks from Scorpio jeep outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the Mansukh Hiren murder case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Action will be taken based on the truth that comes out of the investigation,” said Deshmukh.
The NIA will present Sachin Waze, an assistant police inspector with the Mumbai Police who was arrested in connection with the investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai, before a special court on Sunday to demand his custody.
This came days after Waze, who was leading the investigating of Mansukh Hiren’s death in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), was transferred to the Citizen Facilitation Centre at the Mumbai Police Headquarters.
“Sachin Waze API Mumbai Police Crime Branch has been arrested for his role and involvement in Placing an explosives-laden vehicle near Carmichael Road (near Mukesh Ambani’s house) on 25th February 2021,” said an official statement of NIA.
With inputs from ANI