HC reserves order on ex-cop Pradeep Sharma’s bail plea

Earlier, the NIA had filed an affidavit which stated that dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze had hatched the conspiracy to harass the Ambani family by placing the explosive-laden SUV outside Antilia on February 25.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday concluded the hearing and reserved its order on the bail applications of encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and dismissed Mumbai police officer Riyazuddin Qazi. Both were arrested in the Antilia explosives scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case.

The division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice R N Laddha which was hearing the bail application filed earlier this year after the special court had rejected a similar application was informed by senior advocate Aabad Ponda that Sharma was not involved in the murder of Hiran. He had submitted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) did not have any proof to show that Sharma was the main conspirator in the terror act of placing the gelatine-laden SUV outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia and killing the businessman. (HT PHOTO)

The division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice R N Laddha which was hearing the bail application filed earlier this year after the special court had rejected a similar application was informed by senior advocate Aabad Ponda that Sharma was not involved in the murder of Hiran. He had submitted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) did not have any proof to show that Sharma was the main conspirator in the terror act of placing the gelatine-laden SUV outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia and killing the businessman.

However, additional solicitor general Anil Singh for NIA in the previous hearing had opposed the bail application and stated that the call data records of Sharma and dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze who was a co-conspirator showed that they were in constant touch with each other during the period in which the vehicle was parked outside Antilia and Hiran was eliminated.

Earlier, the NIA had filed an affidavit which stated that Vaze had hatched the conspiracy to harass the Ambani family by placing the explosive-laden SUV outside Antilia on February 25. Vaze had called Hiran to his office and asked him to take the blame for placing the car, however after Hiran refused, Vaze contacted Sharma and paid him ₹45 lakh to hire hitmen to eliminate Hiran.

The affidavit states that Sharma not only hired the hitmen and provided them with SIM cards but also assisted them in fleeing from the country after they had murdered Hiran. The affidavit states that Sharma and the other accused committed a “heinous and serious offence” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Referring to the larger conspiracy in which Sharma was involved along with other accused, the affidavit stated, “The appellant (Sharma) was an active member of a gang that had conspired to terrorise people, including the Ambani family, and murdered Mansukh Hiran as he was a weak link in the conspiracy.”

“The appellant willingly and intentionally entered into a well-organised criminal conspiracy for the execution of the murder of Mansukh Hiran, which was a direct outcome of the terrorist act committed by co-accused Sachin Vaze and others,” it added.