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Antilia explosives scare: Suspended Mumbai cop Riyazuddin Kazi in judicial custody till April 23
The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court on Friday remanded suspended assistant police inspector Riyazuddin Kazi to judicial custody till April 23
The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court on Friday remanded suspended assistant police inspector Riyazuddin Kazi to judicial custody till April 23. The court has directed Taloja jail authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure Kazi’s security.
He was arrested on April 11 for his alleged involvement in conspiracy and destruction of evidence with another suspended cop Sachin Vaze – the main accused and in the Antilia explosives scare and Mansukh Hiran murder cases.
Kazi was earlier remanded to NIA custody till Friday. He was produced before the special court as his NIA custody ended on Friday.
NIA said that it did not require the further custody of the suspended Mumbai Police officer and urged the court to remand him to judicial custody.
Kazi’s lawyer, advocate Hasnain Kazi, moved an application expressing threat perception for his client while in jail, and pleaded that his security aspect be appropriately considered by the prison authorities. The court then directed the jail authorities to take proper care of Kazi’s security. Kazi was moved to Taloja prison after the demand proceeding.
According to NIA, Kazi was working as assistant police inspector in the crime intelligence unit (CIU) and was well aware about Vaze’s plan to create a security scare near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence. The federal agency also claimed that Kazi was aware of the design and the things that transpired after the case was transferred to NIA, and hence, started destroying evidence such as CPU (central processing unit) and DVR (digital video recorder). Kazi was also along with Vaze while recovering evidence in the case, which Vaze was probing initially.
On February 25, an SUV was found abandoned near Antilia on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai with 20 loose gelatin sticks and a threatening note addressed to Ambani.
Meanwhile, the court granted permission to Vaze, who is also lodged at Taloja jail, to speak to his lawyer from the prison. Vaze had pleaded that he needs to speak to his lawyer to discuss further legal remedies. He had also alleged that on April 12 and April 15, he was allowed to speak to his lawyer only for five minutes, after which the call was disconnected.
