Mumbai, Sep 1 Dismissed policeman Sachin Waze, an accused in the Antilia bomb scare and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder case, has called the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter “illegal”, saying it was launched without prior authorization by the Centre.
In an application moved before the special NIA court, Waze has also sought directions for calling the station diary on record before the commencement of trial in the case.
The former policeman claimed discrepancies in the prosecution’s witness lists, saying certain individuals were named both under recorded and unrecorded statement categories, while several officials remained unnamed.
The NIA initiated an “unauthorised and illegal” probe into the matter without prior authorisation by the Central government as mandated under law, he said.
Even after over five years none of the alleged real victims have yet come forward to mention that they received any threat or “were indeed terrorized by some anonymous silly threat note as well as by an unexplodable minor stuff of explosives”, the former cop said.
“It is also pertinent to mention that as per the respondent (NIA) and as per the charge framed, the victims of the case are Mukesh Ambani and family. The respondent has stated before this court that it ‘reserves the right to record statements of Mukesh Ambani and Neeta Ambani as and when it is necessary to record’,” Waze’s plea said.
He said that the station diary is the authentic record in chronological order of all occurrences at the police station or branch or sector and of the various duties performed by the officers.
“As an essential aspect of the well settled principles of fair trial and pursuit of unravelling truth, it is my honest endeavour to request this court that timely reference to the station diary entries will be necessary and desirable for just decision of the case,” his application said.
He pleaded that it should be called before the first witness deposes in the forthcoming trial.
A special NIA court had last month framed charges against former policemen Waze and Pradeep Sharma and eight others, setting the stage for trial in the case.
They have been charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder, extortion and destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy as well as relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act.
On February 25, 2021, an explosives-laden SUV was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai. Businessman Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021.
