Antilia bomb scare: Vaze’s colleague Riyazuddin Kazi dismissed from service

Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale on Friday issued an order under Article 311(2) (B) of the Constitution of India, dismissing Kazi without a departmental inquiry

Assistant police inspector Riyaz Hisamuddin Kazi, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Antilia bomb scare and subsequent murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran, has been summarily dismissed from service. Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale on Friday issued an order under Article 311(2) (B) of the Constitution of India, dismissing Kazi without a departmental inquiry.

Sachin Vaze. (FIle photo)

Kazi is former colleague of Sachin Vaze, also arrested by NIA for allegedly being the mastermind of Antilia bomb scare and the murder of Hiran, an auto parts dealer. Vaze has already been dismissed from service on May 11.

Kazi was arrested by NIA on April 11 in connection with the cases and is in judicial custody.He was posted in the crime intelligence unit (CIU) of the Mumbai crime branch, which Vaze headed when, on February 25, a Mahindra Scorpio was found abandoned near Antilia, the South Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, with 20 loose gelatin sticks and a threatening note addressed to the industrialist’s family.

Vaze was the investigating officer of the case which was eventually transferred to Maharashtra anti-terrorism sqaud (ATS). NIA took over the case on March 8, three days after Hiran, to whom the SUV was linked, was found dead in creek near Mumbra. It arrested Vaze on March 13, after his alleged involvement in the bomb scare came to light.

NIA claimed that as his colleague Kazi was aware of Vaze’s plans and purportedly took active part in destruction of evidence during initial investigation of the bomb scare case. They allegedly seized several CCTV footages and DVRs under the garb of investigation and destroyed the same.

Kazi was shunted out of CIU last month after NIA arrested Vaze allegedly for devising the plan to regain his lost glory in Mumbai Police by parking the explosive-laden SUV outside Antilia. Kazi was transferred to Tardeo local arms division, which is considered a side branch.

Beside Kazi and Vaze, the NIA has also arrested police inspector Sunil Mane, also from Mumbai Police.

Former constable Vinayak Shinde, a convict serving life imprisonment in a fake encounter killing of Lakhan Bhaiya, and bookie Naresh Gaur have also been arrested in the case for alleged aiding and abetting Vaze in executing the crimes.