Antilia bomb scare: Court to examine first witness on November 4

The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court has tentatively scheduled nine prosecution witnesses from November 4 to December 14, including Hiran’s son, brother and widow, whose statements concern his movements before his death and allegations against Waze

MUMBAI: The trial in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare and the connected Mansukh Hiran murder case, involving dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze and nine others, is set to enter the evidence stage on November 4, when the special court hearing the case starts recording evidence.

Dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze is the main accused in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare and the connected Mansukh Hiran murder case.

The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court has tentatively scheduled nine prosecution witnesses from November 4 to December 14, including Hiran’s son, brother and widow, whose statements concern his movements before his death and allegations against Waze.

The first three witnesses are associated with the Gamdevi police station FIR concerning the explosives-laden Mahindra Scorpio SUV found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) case and the Vikhroli vehicle-theft case, respectively. They are Asif Sande, scheduled to testify on November 4, Vinay Gaikwad on November 16 and Vilas Pukale on November 19.

Hiran’s son Meet, brother Vinod and widow Vimla are scheduled to testify on November 23, December 4 and December 8, respectively.

According to the NIA investigation, Meet has told investigators his father had left home on March 4, 2021, to meet a police officer he knew as “Tawde”. Vinod and Vimla also made statements about Waze allegedly advising Hiran to get arrested for a few days, promising to secure his release. These allegations are yet to be tested in court.

The case relates to the recovery of a Mahindra Scorpio SUV containing gelatin sticks and a threat letter near Ambanis’ residence on February 25, 2021. The vehicle belonged to Hiran, a Thane-based businessman, who had reported it stolen at the Vikhroli police station a week earlier. His body was found in a creek in Thane on March 5.

The NIA took over the explosives case on March 8, 2021, and subsequently investigated Hiran’s murder and the related vehicle theft as part of the alleged conspiracy. Its charge-sheet named Waze, former “encounter specialist” Pradeep Sharma and eight others, alleging their involvement at different stages.

The prosecution’s case is that the vehicle theft, the placement of the explosives-laden SUV and Hiran’s murder were connected. Investigators alleged that the explosives incident was not an isolated act but part of a wider conspiracy, with Hiran’s death forming a crucial strand of the case.

The allegations are yet to be proved at trial.

The court fixed the tentative witness schedule after the defence sought adherence to Supreme Court guidelines on criminal trials.