NIA to investigate explosives scare outside Ambani's house

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe the case of explosive-laden vehicle found outside Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai on February 25. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs transferred the case to NIA after the death of Mansukh Hiran, who owned the vehicle.

The Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday (March 8) handed over the case to the NIA.

The Maharashtra government reluctantly transferred the case to Centre as the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the police were “capable” of solving the case. “The Maharashtra Police are capable of solving the case. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has begun its probe into it,” he had said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) used its suo motu powers to hand over the case to NIA. As per law, scheduled offences under the Explosives Act or the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), can be handed over to the central investigative agency without the permission of a state government. It is not clear if the NIA will also probe Hiran’s death.

Forty-six-year-old Mansukh Hiran, an automobile accessories dealer, was found dead in Thane on March 5. A few hours ago, his family had registered a “missing” case with the police station. His wife had expressed suspicion that her husband may have been killed. The autopsy report revealed that no visible external injuries were found on his body.

Also read: Mumbai police find evidence of second car used in bomb scare outside Ambani home

Police found Hiran’s car with 20 gelatin sticks, parked near Ambani’s posh multi-storey bungalow, ‘Antilia’, on February 25. Primary investigation found that the vehicle was stolen from Airoli-Mulund Bridge on February 18.

A self-proclaimed outfit Jaish-ul-Hind took responsibility for planting the vehicle outside Ambani’s house, but police rejected the presence of any such organization in the country.

On March 2, Hiran wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and police commissioners of Thane and Mumbai, accusing the police and media of harassing him ever since his Scorpio vehicle was found outside ‘Antilla’.

Also read: Owner of abandoned SUV parked near Ambani’s house traced

Hiran said that he was treated like an accused when the fact is that it was his vehicle which was stolen.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, took potshots at the state government, saying “it should be ashamed of itself for failing to provide protection to Hiran”.

The NIA will first register a case, following which a probe team will visit the spot and examine the Scorpio.