NIA arrests 'encounter specialist' cop in Ambani security scare case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the last months recovery of an explosives-laden vehicle from outside the south Mumbai home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, arrested Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze after quizzing him for over 12 hours on Saturday night, a spokesperson said.

Waze reached the agency’s office at Cumballa Hill in south Mumbai around 11.30 am to record his statement. “Sachin Waze arrested at 2350 hrs in NIA Case RC/1/2021/NIA/MUM,” the NIA spokesperson said.

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”, has also been 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 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.

While recording Waze’s statement on Saturday, the NIA called crime branch ACP Nitin Alaknure and ATS ACP Shripad Kale to share information about the investigation done so farin the cases of recovery of the SUV and the alleged murder of Hiran. Alaknure and Kale left the NIA office after over four hours.

Waze, accused by Hiran’s wife of involvement in her husband’s suspicious death, was shunted out of the Mumbai crime branch earlier this week.

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