NIA Court rejects Waze’s plea for diaries in Antilia case

MUMBAI: Two days before the trial in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case enters the evidence stage, a special NIA court rejected two applications filed by dismissed police officer Sachin Waze for copies of the case diary and station diary in the case

MUMBAI: Two days before the trial in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case enters the evidence stage, a special NIA court rejected two applications filed by dismissed police officer Sachin Waze for copies of the case diary and station diary in the case.

Opposing Waze’s application on Monday, the NIA told the court that the document contained “sensitive” and “secret” information with regard to national interest and security and could therefore not be produced. The agency also said the diary is required by the investigating officer as further investigation is underway.

Waze argued that access to the diaries would help ensure a fair adjudication and allow timely reference to investigation records during the trial. He said the court could examine the station diary entries if doubts arose about the sanctity of the investigation. The NIA opposed the plea.

Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar held that the entire station diary could not be summoned at this stage, given the sensitive nature of the offences and the ongoing investigation. The court, however, left open the possibility of calling for relevant entries at an appropriate stage, if required.

The judge observed that the trial was yet to begin and the diary might not be required for reference during the examination of every witness.

The orders come ahead of Wednesday, when the special court is scheduled to examine its first prosecution witness, marking the beginning of evidence recording in the case.

The Antilia bomb scare case relates to the recovery of a Mahindra Scorpio SUV containing gelatin sticks and a threat letter outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, on February 25, 2021. The vehicle belonged to Hiran, who had reported it stolen a week earlier. His body was found in a creek in Thane on March 5, 2021.