Antilia scare: Mumbai cop Sunil Mane remanded in judicial custody in Mansukh Hiran murder probe

Sunil Mane was arrested by the NIA on April 23, following a lengthy interrogation in connection with the two inter-connected cases and then remanded in the federal agency’s custody.

A special court on Saturday remanded Mumbai Police officer Sunil Mane, arrested in connection with the Antilia explosives scare and the subsequent murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran, in judicial custody till May 13.

Sunil Mane was produced before the special court on Saturday as his earlier remand came to an end (File photo) (HT_PRINT)

Mane was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 23, following a lengthy interrogation in connection with the two inter-connected cases and then remanded in the federal agency’s custody.

Mane was produced before the special court on Saturday as his earlier remand came to an end. NIA did not seek an extension of his custody and urged the court to remand him to judicial custody, to which the special court agreed.

On February 25, a Mahindra Scorpio was found abandoned near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s south Mumbai residence Antilia with 20 loose gelatin sticks and a threatening note. A case was then registered with Gamdevi police station on the same day.

Suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze, who too has been arrested in the case, was originally in charge of the investigation, but was removed after reports emerged of his links with Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, and had reported it stolen on February 17, 2021. Hiran was found dead on March 5, a day after he had gone missing. It subsequently emerged that Vaze had borrowed the SUV in November and returned it in early February.

NIA took over the explosives case on March 8 and Vaze was arrested by NIA on March 13. The murder case was also transferred to the federal agency on March 24 and Vaze was named the main accused in both the cases.

According to NIA, Mane has played a role in Hiran murder case. He was present at the criminal intelligence unit of the Mumbai crime branch on March 2 and 3, when Vaze purportedly tried to convince Hiran to take the blame for placing the explosives-laden SUV near Antilia.

NIA officers claimed that Vaze had assured the trader that he will get him out on bail in a few days. The plan to eliminate Hiran was allegedly hatched after he refused to take the blame and get arrested in the case.

NIA has also claimed that it was Mane who had made the last call to the victim around 8.30pm on March 4, and had drawn him out of his Thane home on the pretext of a meeting along Ghodbunder Road. The next day, Hiran’s body was found in a creek at Retibunder near Mumbra, Thane, with six handkerchiefs stuffed in his mouth and his face covered by a scarf.

While seeking an extension for Mane’s custody, NIA had on April 28 informed the special court that on March 4, Mane had picked up Vaze from Kalwa railway station, and later, the duo had picked up Hiran in a four-wheeler. Mane then snatched Hiran’s phone and dropped him along Ghodbunder Road with Vaze.

It is, however, not yet clear as to who killed the Thane trader or how he was killed.