Antilia bomb scare case: SC dismisses ex-cop Pradeep Sharma’s discharge plea

The Supreme Court denied former police officer Pradeep Sharma's plea for discharge in the Mukesh Ambani explosives case, upholding earlier rulings.

Mumbai The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a plea filed by former Mumbai police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma seeking discharge in the case involving the conspiracy behind planting of explosives in a vehicle outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in 2021 and the consequent killing of a businessman Mansukh Hiran whose vehicle was used for this purpose.

Antilia bomb scare case: SC dismisses ex-cop Pradeep Sharma’s discharge plea

A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said, “How can you seek discharge? We will simply dismiss it as we do not wish to say anything that will prejudice your trial.”

Sharma approached the court against a March 10 order of the Bombay High Court dismissing his discharge plea. The former cop has already been charge-sheeted in the case. He was arrested in June 2021 and was granted bail by the top court in August 2023.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for Sharma, told the court that the allegation against him is that another former cop Sachin Waze had approached him with cash to eliminate Hiran, whose body was recovered on March 5, 2021 from the creek area in Retibunder.

The investigation of the case was initially handled by Sachin Waze of the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Police. Following Hiran’s murder, a complaint was lodged by the deceased businessman’s wife accusing Waze of killing her husband. The cases related to the explosive-laden vehicle and Hiran’s murder were transferred to Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a suo moto case and took over the investigation.

Waze was made an accused and NIA arrested Sharma alleging that he was part of the conspiracy to eliminate Hiran. The NIA charged Sharma for offences under the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act and accused Waze of arranging money for Sharma to hire men for committing the crime.