Antilia bomb scare case: NIA gets custody of cop Sunil Mane

A special National InvestigationAgency court in Mumbai on Friday remanded police officer SunilMane to the central probe agencys custody till April 28 inthe Antilia bomb scare case, and also extended till May 5 thejudicial remand of suspended assistant inspector Sachin Vaze.

The NIA had, earlier in the day, arrested inspectorSunil Mane in connection with the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambanis residence hereand the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

Appearing for NIA, special public prosecutor PrakashShetty told the court that the central agency needed toquestion Mane and obtain his electronic devices, call recordsetc, since Mane was “involved” in Hirans alleged killing.

The agency told the special court that Mane wasprobably present at the spot where Hiran was killed, theallegation being denied by Manes counsel, advocate AdityaGore.

Gore told the court Mane had been questioned by NIA onprevious occasions as well and that he had been cooperatingwith the probe.

Mane is the third police officer to be arrested in thecase, after Vaze and the latters Crime Branch colleague RiyazKazi.

Both Vaze and Kazi are presently in judicial custody.

The NIA is probing the role played by Vaze and othersin an incident in February this year when an explosives ladenvehicle was found parked near Antilia, the residence ofindustrialist Mukesh Ambani.

Hiran was found dead a few days later in neighbouringThane.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)