In the latest update in the Mukesh Ambani Bomb Scare case, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tuesday, 23 March, have seized a Volvo car from Daman and suspect that this vehicle was used in Mansukh Hiren’s murder.
This comes a day after the ATS Chief Jai Jeet Singh met with Home Minister Anil Deshmukh at his official residence in Mumbai, claiming to have solved Hiren’s murder case.
Hiren was the owner of the SUV that was found laden with explosives outside Antilia (the Ambani residence) in Mumbai on 25 February.
ATS arrested two people in connection with the murder probe on Sunday, 21 March. Naresh Dhare, a 31-year-old bookie, and Vinayak Shinde, a 55-year-old suspended constable presently on parole, were detained on Sunday morning, and subsequently arrested.
The NIA has till date seized around six high-end cars/SUVs, including two Mercedes, a Scorpio, an Innova and a Toyota LandCruiser Prado
While some of these vehicles were used by arrested inspector Sachin Vaze, some were also driven by Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren, who was found dead in the Thane Creek wetlands on 5 March.
While former police officer Vaze had been arrested on 13 March in the explosives case by the NIA, his alleged involvement in Hiren’s death was still being probed by the ATS.
According to sources in the NIA, the person seen in the CCTV footage, who carried out this whole incident could be Vaze himself. The NIA, to confirm this by their investigation and present it in court, has tried to recreate the crime scene.
Vaze had been taken to various locations in Mumbai and Thane to recreate the entire set of circumstances culminating in the SUV imbroglio on 25 February.
How Was the Crime Scene Recreated?
Sachin Vaze was brought to Carmichael Road, where the car was recovered and was asked to walk wearing a shirt and a pair of pants. Vaze's movements were recorded with the CCTV resolution camera to check his gait, movement, timings, etc, to compare them with previously found footage from the spot.
Thereafter, Vaze was asked to wear a kurta and tie a handkerchief on his head and made to walk three to four times. Pune’s forensic team recorded the entire scene and submitted its investigation report.
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