Mumbai: Sachin Waze seeks laptop in jail to write book, prepare defence; authorities oppose plea

Sachin Waze. File Pic

Former policeman Sachin Waze, an accused in the Antilia bomb scare and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder case, has sought the court's permission to have a laptop in prison to prepare his defence and to write a book.

In the handwritten plea filed before a special court here, Waze said he has written various books in Marathi and English, and claimed his book on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks has been translated to English from Marathi by a renowned author from England.

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During the current incarceration, he is working on publishing the extended edition of his book and is also in the process of writing a treatise on anti terrorism and allied laws, Waze said in his plea.

"For this purpose I've already written over 35,000 pages while in detention and referred to more than 20,000 judgments on the subject matter. Without a computer it is impossible for me to access, read, analyze and otherwise examine huge electronic data related to his case," he said.

It will be cumbersome to complete the research for the proposed treatise without accessing electronic copies of judgments and typing extensive documents without software such as MS office, his plea said.

"Under these circumstances it is utmost essential that I must possess and access a computer, preferably a laptop computer while undergoing incarceration," Waze said.

However, the jail authorities opposed his plea citing security concerns in the prison.

The applicant has performed his duties as an officer in the police administration but he is currently accused of very serious illegal activities, the response said.

The jail authorities said if he is allowed to posses a computer then other accused too may make such requests.

There is a high possibility of misusing it (computer) for anti-national activities and anti-administration conspiracy, the jail authorities told court.

On his plan for writing a book, the jail administration said it will be essential to take prior permission of the state government, failing which prison authorities may land in trouble.

The jail authorities cited the example of Pravin Mahajan, arrested for murdering his brother and political leader Pramod Mahajan.

Pravin Mahajan was kept in Arthur Road Jail and his writings in prison, which were published in the form of a book resulted in a big political storm in the the state, it said.

The Maharashtra government had asked the jail administration for its response and it brought disrepute to the prison administration, the response mentioned.

Taking into consideration all these factors and prison security, Waze's plea shouldn't be allowed, the jail authorities said.

The matter will be next heard on February 28.

An SUV with explosives was found near Ambani's residence on February 25, 2021.

Mansukh Hiran, a businessman who said he was in possession of the SUV before it was 'stolen', was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021.

A few days later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Waze in connection with the case.

He is currently in judicial custody and lodged at Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

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