Dismissed cop Kazi gets bail in Antilia bomb scare case

The Bombay high court on Friday granted bail to dismissed Mumbai police officer, Riyazuddin Kazi, in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case. The NIA arrested Kazi on April 10, 2021, alleging that he was part of the larger conspiracy hatched by Sachin Waze

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday granted bail to dismissed Mumbai police officer, Riyazuddin Kazi, in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case.

Mumbai, India - June 17, 2021: Former police officer Pradeep Sharma arrested by NIA in the Antilia bomb scare case being taken to Sessions Court from NIA office at Peddar Road, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

While granting bail to the 59-year-old cop, the division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice RN Laddha observed that, “Evidence collected by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) shows that the role of the appellant (Kazi) is similar to the other officers attached to the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), who are witnesses in the said case. The statements of witnesses, prima facie, shows that all were acting under the directions of Sachin Waze.”

The HC said that the statements of the witnesses, especially that of Waze and Kazi’s colleagues—assistant police inspector Prakash Howal and police Naik Yuvraj Shelar—do not reveal that the appellant was aware of Waze’s intention to destroy the evidence against him.

It added that admittedly, during investigation, nothing incriminating was found or seized from Kazi and he was admittedly not involved in planting of the explosive-laden SUV outside Antilia and the murder of the SUV owner, a Thane-based trader Mansukh Hiren.

According to the prosecution case, on February 25, 2021, an SUV was found abandoned near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai, with 20 loose gelatine sticks and a note threatening to kill the Ambani family members. On March 5, the body of Mansukh Hiren was found dumped in a creek at Reti Bunder near Mumbra.

A case was initially registered at Gamdevi police station on February 25 with regards to the explosive-laden vehicle. The next day, the case was transferred to the CIU, which was then headed by the prime accused in the case, then assistant police inspector Sachin Waze.

Two days later, the case was handed over to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and eventually on March 8, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification, directing the NIA to take over the case.

The NIA arrested Kazi on April 10, 2021, alleging that he was part of the larger conspiracy hatched by Waze and aided and abetted him by collecting and destroying crucial pieces of evidence. The federal agency also claimed that Kazi aided Waze in arranging fake vehicle registration number plates used in executing the crime, in destruction of evidence by illegally taking over CCTV and DVRs, which had captured movement of vehicles allegedly used by Waze during the placing of the explosive-laden vehicle on Carmichael Road and records of the shops from where Waze had procured fake vehicle number plates.

The HC, however, did not find sufficient corroboration to the claim and said there was nothing on record to suggest that Kazi aided Waze in destroying evidence.