NIA arrests Sachin Waze’s close confidante

NIA produced Mumbai Crime branch officer Sunil Mane for his alleged role in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case in a Sessions Court on Friday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested Inspector Sunil Mane who was recently transferred to the Local Arms Unit from Unit 11 of the Mumbai Crime Branch. He headed unit 11 and is the third serving officer of Mumbai police arrested in connection with the Ambani bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case. Earlier, the agency arrested API Sachin Waze and his close aide API Riyazuddin Qazi. The NIA also carried out searches at unit 11 of Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday.

The agency which initially suspected it was Waze who had called Hiran on the night of March 4 posing as Kandivli officer Tawde, now claims to have got crucial links which establish that Mane had posed as Tawde. "There is prima facie evidence that he was present at the spot and called Mansukh on WhatsApp posing as Tawde. As Mansukh was known to him, he came to meet him at Ghodbandar," an NIA officer said.

Mane was produced before the special NIA court in the afternoon and remanded in NIA custody till April 28. NIA had questioned Mane multiple times after his role surfaced during the Maharashtra ATS probe. The latter agency also questioned him for several hours. Mane was a very close confidante of Waze and a frequent visitor to his CIU office. Officials said he was also part of both the meetings where Hiran's killing was planned.

The first meeting was at Chakala on March 2 where Mane, Waze and another suspect were present. The second meeting was held at Waze's CIU office where Hiran was allegedly asked to get arrested in the case by Waze. Mane was also part of this meeting and he was questioned by the NIA on the same but he allegedly didn't give satisfactory answers. According to sources, a hotelier who came to meet Waze carrying a bag full of cash, had seen Hiran in the CIU office. NIA has recorded his statement as well and the hotelier was also questioned by the CBI in the alleged extortion case involving former home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Judicial custody extended

Suspended police personnel API Waze and API Qazi were produced in court through video conference as their judicial custody ended on Friday. The court has extended their judicial custody till May 5.

Crucial links about gelatin

According to sources, the NIA is believed to have got a crucial link and suspects that a businessman who has got the contract for a highway project of the Maharashtra government, provided the gelatin sticks - which were found in the Scorpio parked outside the Ambani residence - to Waze. The businessman purchased the sticks for use in the construction of highways and bridges.