‘Maha govt cannot probe the matter’: MNS chief Raj Thackeray demands Centre’s intervention into Ambani bomb scare case

On Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took suspended Mumbai police’s assistant inspector Sachin Vaze to the crime spot and recreated the entire scene, a police officer told PTI on Saturday.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday requested the Centre to intervene in the Antilia bomb scare case and said the Maha Vikas Aghadi-led government in Maharashtra cannot investigate the matter, according to news agency ANI. On Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took suspended Mumbai police’s assistant inspector Sachin Vaze to the crime spot and recreated the entire scene, a police officer told PTI on Saturday.

High security outside Antilia at Altamont road after a car laden with gelatin sticks has been found abandoned near billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Antilia residence in Mumbai. (ANI file photo)

Vaze, who was initially leading the investigation, was arrested by the NIA on March 13. Four days later, the central agency announced that Vaze was behind the explosive-laden Scorpio car parked outside Ambani’s residence on February 25, which he orchestrated as part of a conspiracy to restore his reputation as a successful cop, according to a report by Hindustan Times on March 17. Vaze has also been facing allegations with regard to the death of Thane-based businessman Mansuhkh Hiran who was the owner of the Scorpio and was found dead at a creek on March 5.

As the controversy around the bomb scare case turned bigger, the Maharashtra government on March 17 removed Param Bir Singh from the post of the Mumbai Police commissioner. Singh on Saturday allegedly wrote a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray where he accused Maharashtra home minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deskhmukh of ordering Sachin Vaze to extort ₹100 crore from bars and restaurants every month, along with some revelations about the bomb scare case.

With the news of Singh’s alleged letter to the CM coming out in public, opposition parties in Maharashtra demanded the immediate resignation of Deshmukh as home minister. MNS chief Thackeray said on Saturday that Deshmukh should be removed and a thorough probe should be done over the accusations levelled by the former Mumbai Police commissioner. Leader of opposition in Maharashtra and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanded the Centre’s intervention into the allegations against Deshmukh adding that CM Uddhav Thackeray should sack him.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday staged protests across Maharashtra demanding Deshmukh’s removal and demanded that the chief minister should immediately order an enquiry against him.