News Analysis India

Tag: NIA

  • Ambani bomb scare case: Suspended cop Sachin Waze taken to Mumbai hospital for check-up

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency on Thursday took suspended police officer Sachin Waze to the government-run J J Hospital here for a medical check-up, an official said.

    Waze (49) was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    The NIA took him to the hospital around Thursday noon, the official said.

    Hospital sources later said Waze was examined and then sent back.

    “Report given to authorities concerned,” a source said.

    This was second time that Waze was taken for the medical-check up to the J J Hospital since his arrest.

    Waze in a letter on Wednesday claimed former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 2 crore from him to continue his service in the Mumbai police and another minister Anil Parab asked him to collect money from some contractors in Mumbai.

    Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, has rubbished Waze’s claim.

    Deshmukh, a senior NCP leader, resigned as home minister on Monday after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

    The special NIA court here on Wednesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to question Waze in connection with its preliminary enquiry (PE) into the allegations of corruption against Deshmukh.

  • Sachin Waze’s letter ‘BJP’s plan of to defame Maharashtra ministers’, says Anil Parab

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Minister Anil Parab on Wednesday denied extortion charge against him in suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze’s letter to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He also said that BJP is behind the letter and they are trying to defame Maharashtra ministers.

    Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, said, “For the last two days, BJP workers were saying Anil Parab’s name will surface and he will have to resign. How did they know Sachin Waze will give a letter? It’s clear that there’s a plan of defaming Maharashtra ministers.”

    The Minister said that he is ready to face any probe into the allegations.

    He said, “Why didn’t Sachin Waze talk about it earlier? He didn’t mention Anil Parab earlier. Suddenly, he writes a letter. It means that he has been made to do all this, to defame the government. I am ready for any kind of inquiry. I am even ready for a narco test.”

    Waze had written a letter to the NIA claiming that Maharashtra ministers Anil Deshmukh and Anil Parab asked him to illegitimately collect money for them.

    Waze, who is being probed by the NIA in the Antilia bomb scare, was produced by the agency for further custody when he attempted to submit this letter. The court, however, told him to follow due process and did not accept it. 

  • Ambani security scare: Suspended cop Sachin Waze’s NIA custody extended till April 9

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A Mumbai court on Wednesday extended the NIA custody of suspended Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze till April 9 in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    Waze was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 13.

    He was on Wednesday produced before special NIA court judge P R Sitre, who extended his custody to the probe agency till April 9.

    ALSO READ | CBI seeks NIA court’s nod to question suspended cop Sachin Waze

    The NIA had sought the extension of Waze’s remand for further probe into the case.

    Two other accused in the case — suspended police constable Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gor — were remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the court.

    The court also allowed the CBI to question Waze in connection with its preliminary enquiry into the allegations of corruption levelled by senior police officer Param Bir Singh against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

    A Scorpio with explosives was found near Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai on February 25.

    Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the vehicle, was found dead in the Mumbra creek in Thane on March 5.

  • CBI seeks NIA court’s nod to question suspended cop Sachin Waze

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The CBI on Wednesday approached a special NIA court here seeking permission to question suspended police officer Sachin Waze in connection with its preliminary enquiry into the allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

    Waze was arrested on March 13 in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai on February 25 and the subsequent death of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    Waze is presently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency, which is conducting a probe into the case, and would be produced before the special NIA court on Wednesday.

    ALSO READ | Sachin Waze case: NIA seizes documents suggesting ‘bribes’ paid to ‘government officials’ month-wise

    The CBI on Wednesday filed an application before the special NIA court seeking permission to question Waze.

    The court will hear the application when Waze is produced for remand.

    Following an order of the Bombay High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late Tuesday night registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) to probe corruption allegations levelled by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh against Deshmukh.

    Singh was shifted from the post of Mumbai police commissioner to the Home Guards department on March 17.

    ALSO READ | Corruption charges against Deshmukh: CBI to record statement of complainant Jaishri Patil

    He later filed a petition in the HC seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh, alleging that the NCP leader had asked Waze and other police officers to extort Rs 100 crore from restaurants and bars.

    Singh had also alleged corruption in police transfers and postings.

    The high court in its order on Monday said the CBI shall carry out an inquiry into the allegations within 15 days and then decide on further course of action.

    After the HC order, Deshmukh resigned as the state’s home minister.

    Both Deshmukh and the Maharashtra government have approached the Supreme Court challenging the HC’s order.

  • Hiran murder case: NIA takes Waze to CSMT to recreate scene

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The NIA took suspended police officer Sachin Waze to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai from where he had boarded a train to neighbouring Thane on the day of businessman Mansukh Hiran’s murder, a police official said on Tuesday.

    In a CCTV footage of March 4, Waze was seen taking a train from the CSMT to Thane, hence a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took Waze to the CSMT late Monday night to recreate the scene, he said.

    Later, the NIA also took Waze to the Mumbra creek in Thane district where Hiran’s body was found on March 5.

    The NIA is conducting a probe into the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai on February 25 and the subsequent murder of Hiran.

    The probe agency arrested Waze last month for his alleged role in planting the vehicle with explosives near Ambani’s house.

    During recreation of the scene at the CSMT on Monday, the NIA sleuths asked Waze to walk on its platform no.

    4 to compare his movement with the man seen in the CCTV footage, the official said.

    Later, they took Waze to the Mumbra creek where Hiran’s body was found last month.

    The NIA team, which spent over an hour each at the CSMT and the Mumbra creek, was accompanied by some witnesses, forensic experts and the Railway Protection Force officials.

    Earlier also, the NIA had taken Waze to various places, including a five-star hotel where he stayed on a fake identity, an office in suburban Andheri where a conspiracy meeting was allegedly held, and the Mumbra creek.

    As part of its probe into the case, the NIA has seized a number of high-end vehicles used by Waze.

  • Ambani bomb scare: NIA custody of police officer Sachin Waze extended till April 7

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A court here on Saturday extended the NIA custody of suspended police officer Sachin Waze till April 7 in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house and businessman Mansukh Hiran’s death.

    Waze, arrested on March 13, was produced before the special NIA court here after his earlier remand expired.

    The National Investigation Agency sought his remand for another six days.

    Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, the NIA lawyer, said the agency had recovered incriminating evidence such as digital video recording (DVR) of CCTV footage and laptops and it needed to be examined.

    The court after hearing both the sides extended Waze’s custody till April 7.

    An explosives-laden Scorpio was found near Ambani’s residence here on February 25.

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

  • Ambani security case: NIA raids Mumbai club, recovers documents used for dubious SIM cards

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The NIA Thursday conducted searches at a club over the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, whose car was used in creating a security scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, and recovered crucial documents pertaining to the SIM cards used by suspended police officer Sachin Waze, officials said here.

    They said the searches were carried out at ‘Aashish Club’ run by a person identified as Devajit who is alleged to have employed one of the accused in the case, Naresh Gor, on Waze’s instructions.

    The officials said that Waze had instructed Naresh to procure SIM cards for his personal use.

    Naresh is alleged to have procured the SIM cards from the neighbouring state of Gujarat and these were handed over to Waze through co-accused Vinayak Shinde, the officials said.

    One of these SIM cards was used by Waze to give a call to Hiran, which turned out to be the last call before the businessman was killed.

    The body of Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV used in the security scare incident, was found in a creek in the Mumbra town of the neighbouring Thane district on March 5.

    During the searches on Thursday, documents pertaining to the SIM cards were seized from the club, besides some other material that indicated that alleged kickbacks being paid to government servants, the officials said.

    They said Hiran was allegedly killed by Waze after reports started surfacing that the case would be handed over to the central agency for probe.

    Initial investigations suggested that Hiran was called to a place where he was made unconscious with the help of some drugs before being smothered to death.

    His vehicle was found outside Ambani’s house in Mumbai on February 25 with gelatin sticks and a threat note.

    The NIA has said in the court that Waze had taken the car from Hiran before allegedly planting the explosives and parking it outside Ambani’s house on February 25.

    Waze was arrested on March 15 by the NIA and is at present in the custody of the agency till April 3.

    The Maharashtra ATS, which was initially probing the Hiran murder case, had arrested Gor and Shinde.

    This case was also taken over by the NIA and the duo are in the custody of the agency till April 10.

  • Why you didn’t approach police against Anil Deshmukh? Bombay HC asks Param Bir Singh

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh why he did not lodge a police complaint against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh if he was aware of an alleged wrongdoing being committed by the minister.

    Singh recently claimed Deshmukh asked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

    The minister has denied any wrongdoing.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni asked Singh why he did not lodge a complaint with the police first, and said without an FIR the HC cannot intervene or direct for an independent agency like the CBI to carry out an investigation.

    ​ALSO READ | Retired HC judge to probe Param Bir’s Rs 100 crore extortion charges against Anil Deshmukh

    “You (Singh) are a senior police officer. You are not a layman. You were duty-bound to register a complaint against any wrongdoing. Despite knowing that an offence is being committed by your boss, you (Singh) remained silent,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    The HC was hearing a criminal public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the HC on March 25 by Singh, seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh.

    The bench further noted that Singh cannot convert the HC into a magistrate court.

    “The proper and appropriate course of action would be for you (Singh) to first lodge a complaint with police. If the police do not lodge an FIR, then you have the option of filing an application before the magistrate,” the court said.

    Singh’s counsel Vikram Nankani said his client wanted to avoid this “chakravyuh” (labyrinth).

    ​ALSO READ | Sachin Waze procured explosives found in SUV near Ambani’s house: NIA

    The HC, however, noted this was the procedure laid down in law.

    “Are you saying that you are above the law?” Chief Justice Datta asked.

    Nankani argued that he did not have any other option than to approach the HC, as the complaint and allegations were against the “very head of the state administration”.

    The court further asked Nankani if any statement, as alleged by Singh in the petition against Deshmukh that he had asked police officers to extort money, was made by the Home minister in Singh’s presence.

    “Was any of these statements made by the Home Minister in Singh’s presence? Otherwise this is nothing but hearsay,” the court said.

    The HC further said there is also no affidavit submitted by any of the police officers who were allegedly called by Deshmukh to his residence, supporting the allegations levelled by Singh.

    The bench said without an FIR it cannot pass an order directing an independent agency to investigate the matter.

    “Our prima facie opinion is that without an FIR, this court cannot order investigation. Your prayer seeking a direction to the CBI to investigate appears to be harsh in the absence of an FIR,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    ALSO READ | Ex-HC judge to probe allegations against me: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

    The court further asked if a PIL is maintainable when the issue pertains to a service matter.

    Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the Maharashtra government, sought dismissal of the petition with an exemplary cost and claimed the plea was filed with personal vendetta.

    “The PIL is not filed in public interest, but is riddled with personal grievances and interests. The petitioner has come to this court with dirty hands and dirty mind,” Kumbhakoni said.

    Singh in his petition claimed Deshmukh had asked police officers, including suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

    Waze was arrested earlier this month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of bomb scare near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai.

    The PIL filed by Singh also raised the issue of alleged corruption in police transfers and postings in the state.

    Singh was shifted from the post of Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police to the Home Guards department on March 17.

  • Ambani bomb scare: NIA suppressing evidence in Sachin Waze case, alleges Congress

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Congress on Saturday accused the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of suppressing evidence in the ongoing probe in the Sachin Waze case.

    Talking to reporters here, state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “API Sachin Waze’s office was 200 feet away from the office of the then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. He had direct access to Singh. However, the NIA is not probing Singh in the bomb scare case.”

    “NIA not carrying out inquiry against Waze’s seniors and Param Bir Singh gives rise to suspicion. The agency is deliberately suppressing some evidence,” he said.

    Waze (49) was arrested on March 13 by the NIA in connection with the probe into the explosives-laden SUV found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25.

    Waze is also being probed for his alleged role in the murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

  • NIA officials take Sachin Waze to Thane creek where Mansukh Hiran’s body was found

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday evening took suspended police officer Sachin Waze to Reti Bunder creek in Thane where businessman Mansukh Hiran’s body had been found.

    The NIA, which has now taken over both the Ambani security scare case as well as the Hiran murder matter, got further custody of Waze till April 3 earlier in the day.

    In the evening, some seven or eight officials took Waze to the spot where Hiran’s body had been found on March 5, a local police official said.

    On Wednesday, the NIA had taken custody from the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of suspended police officer Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gaur in the Hiran case.

    Waze was arrested by the NIA on March 13 in connection with the Scorpio with gelatin sticks and threat letter found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai on February 25.

    Hiran had claimed that this Scorpio had been stolen from his possession a week earlier.