Dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze and former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and eight other
Dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze and former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and eight other accused conspired to place the explosive-laden SUV near the residence of Mukesh Ambani and eliminate businessman Mansukh Hiren, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in its primary chargesheet filed before a Mumbai court.
Sachin Hindurao Waze & Ors v. NIA
According to the chargesheet, the motive behind Waze’s alleged crime was to re-establish himself as a super cop by staging a fake encounter regain his lost glory as a cop and also extort money from wealthy industrialists by creating fear in them.
Waze had himself parked the Scorpio vehicle with 20 gelatine sticks (explosives) and a threat note on 24 February 2021, near Ambani’s residence.
The NIA alleges that Waze forced Hiran’s to take responsibility for planting the explosives. When he refused Waze and others, planned to bump off Hiran sitting in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate Compound.
However, Waze hatched the criminal conspiracy to kill Hiren with the help of Sharma and dismissed Police Inspector Sunil Mane, who is also claimed to be one of the last persons to have seen Hiren before he was murdered by hired henchmen.
NIA stated that Waze collected huge amounts of money through extortion a part of which was used for the commission of the crime.
“Through extortion, he was collecting huge amount of money, part of which was used for the commission of instant crime. As evident from the threat note placed along with the explosives in the vehicle planted by accused Sachin Waze (A1) himself on Carmichael Road, was an act of terror on the part of Waze. The intent was clearly to terrorise wealthy and prosperous individuals and also to extort money by putting into fear of dire consequences The post on Telegram channel Jaish Ul Hind appears to be a deliberate attempt to add credibility to the above said act of terror, and the murder of Mansukh Hiran was a direct outcome of the said act of terror.”
NIA analyzed that Waze had asked Hiren to file a missing complaint of the Scorpio vehicle so it could used in the crime. The fake number plates with a registration number used by the convoy for Nita Ambani’s security was affixed to the Scorpio vehicle.
After placing the car near Ambani’s residence, he eventually got the case transferred to the Crime Intelligence Unit, Mumbai Police, which he headed.
Waze tried to create an alibi by intentionally remaining in his office premises and then conducting a midnight false raid in a restaurant so that his location shows him performing duty far from the scene of the crime pertaining to the execution of Hiren.
The chargesheet also emphasized that “Waze tried to project the Hiren’s murder as a case of suicide by circulating such news through his contacts in the field of journalism.”
The NIA has cited the statements of 178 witnesses, including 20 protected witnesses. One of them is an eyewitness to Waze parking the Scorpio vehicle.
The National Investigation Agency has accused Waze, Sharma, Mane and the four alleged killers under the IPC, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for offences of 302(murder), 120B (conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence), 364 (kidnapping) 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property) and sections 16(punishment for a terrorist Act), 18(punishment for conspiracy) & 20(punishment for being a member of a terrorist gang) of UAPA and Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act.
