News Analysis India

Tag: Antilia

  • Security upped at Antilia after two people enquire about Mukesh Ambani

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  The security cover of Antilia on Monday was bolstered further after a taxi driver alerted the police about two people inquiring about the residence of India’s richest tycoon Mukesh Ambani.

    Ambani and his family have been living at Antilia in south Mumbai’s posh Cumballa Hill area since 2012.

    “We received a call from the taxi driver that two people driving a car and carrying a bag asked for Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia. We are recording his statement,” the Mumbai Police said.

    “A DCP-level rank officer is monitoring the situation. Security was heightened outside Antilia and CCTV footage is also being checked.”

    The men stopped their four-wheeler, a hatchback, near Killa court in CST and sought directions of the landmark, the driver told the police.

    The driver was clueless about the direction in which the car went ahead after its occupants spoke to him, according to the police.

    As a pre-emptive measure, more barricades were being put by the police outside the 27-storey building located on Altamount Road.

    The police were yet to register a case till the report was filed in late evening.

    In February, Antilia was in the news after police found an explosives-laden sport utility vehicle was found parked outside the high-rise. Gelatin sticks and a threatening note were seized from the vehicle.  

    The security scare also comes days after Reliance Industries Ltd clarified Ambani has no plans to relocate or reside in London or anywhere else in the world. 

    The Indian multinational conglomerate had also sought to end speculation over India’s richest family dividing time between the UK and Mumbai, after a report that the Ambanis were looking to make the 300-acre country club in Buckinghamshire, Stoke Park their primary residence.

  • Mansukh Hiran case: Court rejects Sachin Waze’s plea for house custody

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A court here on Wednesday rejected former police officer Sachin Waze’s request that he be put under house custody instead of being sent back to jail following a heart surgery.

    Waze, the prime accused in the case of an SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence `Antilia’ and the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, recently underwent open heart surgery at a city hospital.

    Last week his lawyer had applied to the special NIA court that Waze be allowed to recover at home.

    But the National Investigation Agency (NIA) opposed the plea, saying he might abscond if put under house custody.

    Judge A T Wankhede rejected Waze’s plea on Wednesday.

    He will now be shifted to the Taloja jail hospital, prosecution sources said.

    The court has allowed him home food and also directed that he should be taken to the government-run J J hospital for a check-up when needed.

    Waze and nine other accused in the case are currently in judicial custody.

  • ‘Antilia’ bomb scare: Sachin Waze told his driver it was ‘secret operation’, says NIA

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: It was a “secret operation”, former police officer Sachin Waze told his official driver, who was with him on the day when an explosives-laden SUV was placed near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ here in February this year, the NIA has said in its charge sheet.

    The driver’s statement is part of the charge sheet filed by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) last week before a special court here against Waze and nine others in connection with the recovery of the vehicle with gelatin sticks near Ambani’s south Mumbai residence on February 25 and the subsequent murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    The driver narrated the entire sequence of events leading to the planting of the vehicle near Ambani’s house on the intervening night of February 24 and 25.

    ​ALSO READ | Antilia bomb scare: Sachin Waze wanted to regain glory as ‘supercop’, says chargesheet

    He told the probe agency that at around 05.30 pm on February 24, he had driven Waze to ‘Dnyaneshwari’ bungalow, the official residence of the then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

    Waze went inside the residence alone and returned in about an hour, the driver said.

    The driver further stated that Waze asked him to change the number plates of Mahindra Scorpio, the explosives-laden vehicle which was placed outside Ambani’s resdince, and an Innova car, multiple times.

    He also told the NIA that Waze had asked him to take specific routes and pay toll plazas.

    “At about 2.10 am I was following the Scorpio car driven by Waze at a very slow speed on Carmichael Road. At a particular point, he stopped the Scorpio and parked it on the left side of the road,” the driver stated.

    “Accordingly, I also stopped my Innova car at a distance of about 40 to 50 meters behind the Scorpio,” he added.

    The driver further stated that he returned to the Innova car after about five minutes and removed his face mask and shield.

    ​ALSO READ | Can Mumbai cops behind reinstating Waze claim impunity? HC to CBI on Anil Deshmukh’s plea

    Waze then asked him to drive ahead, and after a while the former API (assistant police inspector) realised that his identity card was missing and asked the driver to check in the car (Innova), but it wasn’t found.

    As per his statement, they then came to Waze’s residence in neighbouring Thane district, where Waze went inside to search for his identity card.

    However, he returned after about 20 minutes, and told the driver that he had probably forgotten the card in the Scorpio.

    At around 4.30 am they returned to the Carmichael Road, where Waze went inside the Scorpio and returned after a while.

    Waze then directed the driver to take him to Thane.

    The driver also stated that Waze had taken his phone and switched it off when he reported to duty (on February 24).

    It was returned only after he drove Waze home, the driver told the NIA.

    In his statement, the driver further said when he enquired about the entire episode, Waze told him it was a “secret operation”, and asked him not to reveal it to anyone.

    “On February 26, I was attending the marriage ceremony of a colleague when I came to know about the incident from TV news channels. I was very scared on seeing the said news, but I did not tell this story to anyone,” he added.

    The NIA in its charge sheet also said Waze placed the SUV near Ambani’s house here to regain his reputation as a “super cop”.

    Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran was subsequently killed as Waze thought him to be the “weak link” in the conspiracy, the NIA said, alleging that Pradeep Sharma, a former police officer, was roped in to execute the murder.

    Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV had been stolen from his possession, was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

    Besides Waze and Pradeep Sharma, the others accused in the case are Vinayak Shinde, Naresh Gor Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, Anand Jadhav, Satish Mothkuri, Manish Soni and Santosh Shelar.

    Shinde, Kazi and Mane are former police officers The accused have been charged under various Indian Penal Code sections, including for murder, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance, as well as relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act.

  • Nita Ambani cancelled Gujarat trip after ‘Antilia’ security threat: Staff tells NIA

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A scheduled visit of industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s wife Nita Ambani to Gujarat was cancelled after the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV outside their house ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai in February this year, the security head of the residence has said in his statement to the NIA.

    The statement is part of a charge sheet filed last week by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before a special court here against dismissed police officer Sachin Waze and nine others in connection with the recovery of the vehicle with gelatin sticks near Ambani’s residence on February 25 and the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    The residence’s security head said in his statement that after the vehicle with explosives and a threat letter were found, he immediately brought it to the notice of Mukesh Ambani.

    He also told the NIA that a scheduled visit of Nita Ambani on that day to Jamnagar in Gujarat was rescheduled and then cancelled on his and the zonal DCP’s advice.

    The security head further stated they had been receiving threats from various quarters, but all were related to farmers’ protest that began in October 2020.

    The Ambani family does not suspect any particular person for the threat letter and gelatin sticks found in the abandoned Scorpio parked illegally on the Carmichael Road here on February 25, he said in the statement.

    Former police officer Waze is the prime accsued in the case.

    As per probe agency, he also played a “pivotal role” in the murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV had been stolen from his possession, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane district on March 5.

    Besides Waze and fomer police officer Pradeep Sharma, the others accused in the case are Vinayak Shinde, Naresh Gor Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, Anand Jadhav, Satish Mothkuri, Manish Soni and Santosh Shelar.

    Shinde, Kazi and Mane are former police officers.

    The accused have been charged under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including for murder, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance, as well as relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act.

    The NIA in its charge sheet said Waze placed the SUV with explosives near Ambani’s house here to regain his reputation as a “super cop”.

    Businessman Mansukh Hiran was subsequently killed as Waze thought him to be the “weak link” in the conspiracy, the NIA said, alleging that Pradeep Sharma was roped in to execute the murder.

  • Mansukh Hiran murder case: ATS seizes high-end car from Daman

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has seized a high-end car from Daman in connection with the Mansukh Hiran murder case, an official said on Tuesday.

    The Volvo car with the Maharashtra registration number was seized on Monday, the official said, adding there is no clarity so far on who owned this car.

    The seized car is kept at the ATS office in Thane neighbouring Mumbai, he said.

    After arresting two persons on Saturday night in connection with the murder case, the ATS detained a person from Gujarat who had allegedly provided them SIM cards, officials had said, adding they recovered many SIM cards from the person.

    The ATS last week arrested suspended policeman Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gaur in the case.

    The SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai on February 25 had been allegedly stolen from possession of Hiran, the Thane-based businessman whose body was found in a creek in Mumbra on March 5.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case of recovery of the explosives-laden SUV and arrested Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze, had seized five high-end cars during its probe, including two Mercedes, 1 Prado, the Scorpio which was used to carry explosives, and an Innova car.

    The ATS had said that Waze was also a prime accused in the Hiran murder case.

    The NIA suspects that at least three of the seized five cars were used by Waze, who was posted as Assistant Police Inspector (API) with the Crime Intelligence Unit (API) when arrested on March 13.

    He was later suspended from service.

    On Monday morning, theATS team took accused Shinde to the residence of Waze in Thane and later to the creek in Mumbra were Hiran’s body was found.

    Though the Hiran murder case was transferred to the NIA on March 20, the ATS is still conducting investigation.

    The ATS had lodged a murder case under section 302 (punishment for murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown persons and on Saturday his murder case have been handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probe, official addd.

  • Family came to know about Sachin Waze’s arrest through media: Cop’s brother

    Sudharma Waze also alleged that his brother Sachin is being implicated in the case.

  • Mansukh Hiren death: Trouble for Deshmukh as Maharashtra Cabinet rejig on cards

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: With questions being raised on Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s handling  of crucial and sensitive cases like the bomb scare near Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antillia, talks of replacing him have started and are gathering momentum within the NCP.

    According to reports, during the Assembly session, the Maharashtra government was said to be on the backfoot over Mansukh Hiren death and suspected role of encounter specialist cop Sachin Waze.

    If a senior NCP leader is to be believed, Sharad Pawar is of the view that keeping a non-performing minister in the Cabinet will not only will damage the government but also his party’s image.

    “Light-weight Anil Deshmukh was made the home minister because of the pressure of his party colleagues, but he has failed in the first year only. On the other hand, the Opposition is getting hold of every crucial information related to Hiren death case, including the CDR details between Sachin Waze and deceased. It also got the locations record. In Dadra Nagar Haveli MP  suicide case also, Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis got the suicide note before the home minister. That shows things are not working for Deshmukh,” said a source.

    Meanwhile, Vaze has denied that he was using the Scorpio which was in possession of Mansukh Hiran, a senior Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) official said on Thursday.

    The ATS, which is probing Hiran’s mysterious death, recorded Vaze’s statement earlier this week, he said.

    ALSO READ | Mansukh Hiran’s death was carefully planned murder: Devendra Fadnavis

    Hiran’s wife had claimed that her husband had given the SUV to Vaze in November, which the Mumbai crime branch officer returned in the first week of February.

    On February 25, the SUV was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai with explosives and a threat letter inside.

    Hiran had claimed that it had been stolen a week earlier, but the case got murky when he was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

    Vaze, accused by Hiran’s wife of involvement in her husband’s suspicious death, was shunted out of the Mumbai crime branch on Wednesday.

    Meanwhile, the investigators have yet to trace the Innova car in which the man who parked the Scorpio near Ambani’s house is seen leaving the spot in CCTV footage, another official said.

    (With PTI Inputs)