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‘Time to say goodbye to world is coming’ — Mumbai cop under probe in Ambani bomb scare case

Sachin Waze, serving in the Crime Intelligence Unit, is being probed in connection with death of Mansukh Hiran, whose Scorpio was found abandoned with explosives outside Antilia. 

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze Saturday put out a series of WhatsApp stories saying the “time to say goodbye to the world is coming closer”. 

Waze, an assistant police inspector, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Mumbai ATS in connection with the death of Mansukh Hiran, whose Scorpio was found abandoned with explosives outside Antilia, the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

In the Whatsapp stories, Waze has said that he was being “falsely trapped”. 

“3rdMarch 2004, fellow officers from the CID arrested me in a false case. That arrest is inconclusive till date,” the Whatsapp story states. “Sensing the history is going to repeat. My fellow officers are on to falsely trap me (sic).”

“There’s a slight difference in the scenario. Then probably I had 17 years of hope, patience, life and service too,” he has added. “Now I will have neither 17-years of further life nor service nor patience to live. I think the time to say goodbye to the world is coming closer.”  

On 3 March, 2004, Waze was suspended along with 14 other policemen, and was charged with murder over the alleged custodial death of Khwaja Yunus, a suspect in the 2 December 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blast case. He subsequently resigned from the police on 30 November 2007, after requests for his reinstatement were rejected by the then Maharashtra government.

His suspension was revoked and he was reinstated to Mumbai Police on 6 June 2020, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown due to shortage of police staff.

Waze, now serving in the Crime Intelligence Unit, was the investigative officer (IO) probing how the explosives-laden Scorpio that had 20 gelatin sticks and a threat note reached Ambani’s residence Antilia in Mumbai on 25 February. He was, however, replaced by another officer as the IO without any formal explanation. 

Waze is also being probed for the alleged murder of Mansukh Hiran, owner of the Scorpio whose body was found inside Mumbai Creek on 5 March. 

Hiran’s wife has told the Mumbai Police that she “strongly suspects Waze’s involvement” in her husband’s death.

On 10 March, Waze was also removed from the Crime Branch, after Hiran’s wife alleged that the Scorpio was in fact in the officer’s possession for three months and that he had returned it to Hiran on 5 February, complaining of a “stiff steering”.

The Mumbai police did not comment on Waze’s WhatsApp status. ThePrint contacted Waze through WhatsApp calls and messages but he did not respond.

Denied all allegations, says only drives automatic cars

 Sources in the Mumbai ATS, probing Hiran’s death, told ThePrint that Waze has been questioned multiple times in connection with the case but he has been “denying everything”.

When asked if he was using the Scorpio car as claimed by Hiran’s wife, he told investigators that he drives “only automatic cars and does not even know how to drive a Scorpio, that too on manual transmission”.

“He said he does not know how to drive a Scorpio with manual transmission so how could he ask for this car for personal use,” a police source said. “He has been denying all the allegations levied by Hiran’s wife.”

Hiran’s wife in her complaint to Mumbai Police had alleged that Waze gave the car back on 5 February and he had sent it through his driver for repairs.

His wife has also alleged that Hiran met Waze the day he went missing. To this, Waze has told investigators that he received a call from Hiran’s wife around 1:30 am on the night Hiran went missing but he informed her that he had no idea about his location, sources said.

Waze also told the ATS that he was not the first one to reach Carmichael Road on 25 February. In fact it was ATS team, Beat Mashal, Traffic Police, Zone 2, Local Police and BDDS who were already at the spot before him, sources said.

Last week, Waze was questioned for over 10 hours in which he told the Mumbai ATS that he knew Hiran well but also said that Hiran was in touch with several other policemen.


Also read: Ambani threat: SUV owner autopsy says he was ‘unclothed’, had 4 face wounds, bulging eyeballs


 

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