'Sachin Vaze had business partnership firms with Shiv Sena leaders': BJP leader

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya also demanded the sacking of Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh saying he was backing the tainted cop.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Sunday alleged that the controversial Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), had business partnership firms with Shiv Sena leaders. Somaiya also demanded the sacking of Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh saying he was backing the tainted cop.

Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze was suspended in March 2004 in Khwaza Yunus murder case. (Sourced Photo)

Somaiya said that Vaze had more than six businesses in which some of his partners were Shiv Sena leaders. “Vaze had a very close relationship with a top Sena leader. In addition, he has formed partnership firms dealing in construction and infrastructure with Sena leaders,” said Somaiya. He alleged that Vaze was a partner in firms like Multibuild Infraprojects Limited, Techlegal Solutions Pvt Ltd, DGNe Multimedia Limited, of which the first two had folded up and only the last one is functional.

He also named local Sena leaders like Sanjay Mashilkar and Vijay Gawai as partners in these firms. “How can an assistant police inspector form so many companies? Where did he get the resources from? This needs to be checked by the NIA,” said the BJP leader.

Mashilkar, who headed the Sena’s local unit for 13 years, defended his partnership in Multibuild Infraprojects Private Limited. “It was a legal private limited company and we fulfilled all the norms. It is not a crime to partner with a cop and we even disclosed it,” he said. “We however could not get business and hence wound up the company within one-and-a-half months of its formation,” added Mashilkar.

Similarly, Vijay Gawai, who had contested the BMC polls in 2017 on Sena ticket from Mulund, said there was no wrong in tying up with a cop. “Kirit Somaiya’s is just playing dirty politics and trying to mislead the people. We formed a firm but this company was shut down, it did not work well,” said Gawai.

Somaiya also said it was also surprising that a cop from such a lower rank can get direct access to the police commissioner. “This all seems too suspicious,” he added.

The NIA on Saturday arrested Sachin Vaze, who is at the centre of the investigation in connection with the mysterious death of Mansukh Hiren, an auto parts dealer linked to the SUV found parked outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25 with 20 sticks of gelatin and a threatening letter. On Sunday, the NIA court remanded him in NIA custody till March 25.