Court says it had been clear in its previous order where it allowed for Waze to have a lawyer at visible distance during interrogation
Sachin Waze with NIA officers on March 14. File pic
The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday rejected suspended API Sachin Waze’s plea to meet his lawyer. Waze is being probed in the Ambani bomb scare case. Appearing for him in the court on Friday, advocate Abad Ponda said, “The investigation is at a crucial stage, please allow me to meet my client during non-interrogation hours; let’s not infringe on my fundamental rights.”
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However, special public prosecutor (SPP) Sunil Gonsalves argued saying, “My basic purpose will be failed if we allow them to meet.” “Whenever we visited the NIA Mumbai office, the interrogation was not done. We have also booked one room at Shalimar hotel near the office so that we can immediately reach to see my client during his interrogation,” Ponda argued. Hearing both sides, special NIA judge Prashant Sitre rejected the plea and added, “My previous order is clear.” Earlier, Sitre had passed an order saying that a lawyer of Waze’s choice will be present at a visible distance during his interrogation by NIA.
Bail plea in Thane court
In the bail plea in a Thane court in the murder case of Mansukh Hiran being probed by the state ATS, the agency told the court that it has strong evidence which needs to be verified and as such they need Waze’s custody.
In its four-page reply, the ATS said that it needs to know what happened on March 4 and 5, the day Hiran died and has to find out where the Scorpio, planted outside the Ambani residence, was between February 18 and 25. Waze’s lawyer Aarti Kalekar sought time to read the reply, after which the court set the next date of hearing to March 30. NIA’s custody of Waze ends on March 25.
Waze’s sister Anuradha Hatkar also filed an intervention application claiming that some media persons are harassing her and her family by calling them. Hatkar sought police protection and the Rabodi police were given requisite directions by the court in the matter.
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