NIA recovers CCTV footage of cop’s building seized by Mumbai Police CIU

NIA also seized a Mercedes Benz, which was intermittently used by Vaze. However, they are yet to ascertain its ownership

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered the network video recorder (NVR) and the CCTV footage of Saket Complex in Thane, which was allegedly taken away by controversial former Mumbai Police assistant inspector Sachin Vaze, who in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in parking an explosive-laden SUV near billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s home Antilia on the night of February 24.

Sachin Vaze, who in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in parking an explosive-laden SUV near billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s home Antilia on the night of February 24. (HT File)

A senior Mumbai Police officer said a team of NIA officers recovered the CCTV footage from Vaze’s cabin in the crime intelligence unit (CIU) of crime branch. Vaze headed CIU till he was transferred to the citizen facilitation centre of Mumbai Police on March 12. On Monday, he was suspended from the force after his arrest.

The police officer added that NIA’s search at CIU office started late on Monday night and went on till the early hours of Tuesday. The NIA team has also seized a laptop, an iPad, a phone and many documents.

Confirming the development, an NIA officer said the agency has also seized a Mercedes Benz, which was intermittently used by Vaze. However, they are yet to ascertain its ownership.

Inspector general Anil Shukla of NIA said, “We have seized a Mercedes, and during investigation, it was confirmed that the car was used by Vaze. However, the owner of the car has not been identified yet.”

While conducting search in the car, we recovered cash worth over ₹5 lakh, a counting machine, some clothes and the registration number plate which was on the Scorpio found parked near the Ambani residence with gelatin sticks,” added Shukla.

According to the residents of Saket Complex – Vaze’s housing society – a team of four CIU officers visited their society on February 27 around 8.30pm and took the society’s NVR without informing its committee members. The four officers, according to Thane police, included Vaze’s colleague assistant inspector Riyazuddin Kazi, who had written a letter (a copy of which is with HT) to the society chairman and secretary, demanding the footage for investigation into the explosives case.

“For the purpose of investigation, this office needs to check the CCTV installed in the premises of your society and the adjoining area. Therefore, I’m directing to provide us the DVR (digital video recorder) which stores the CCTV footage to facilitate the said investigation,” Kazi’s letter read.

Two days after the CIU seized the NVR, the society sacked its security contractor.

“The [CIU] team asked for the CCTV footage. So the contractor was called, to hand over the NVR to the officers. Two days later, he was sacked, claiming that his work was not satisfactory. The other committee members were not aware that the NVR was handed over to CIU,” a member said.

The society’s chairman and secretary then submitted a letter to Rabodi police in Thane about the NVR and CCTV seizure on the evening of March 4 – the day when businessman Mansukh Hiran went missing. Hiran had claimed that the SUV found outside Antilia belonged to him. His body was found from a Thane creek on March 5. “The chairman and secretary had given us in writing that on February 27, the CIU took their CCTV footage for some probe. They said they were being responsible citizens and informing the police about it,” said an officer from Rabodi police station. The society chairman and secretary were not available for comment.

According to crime branch sources, NIA has recorded the statements of Kazi as well as of three other officers – assistant commissioner of police Nitin Alaknure; inspector Milind Kathe; assistant inspector Prakash Howal – and three constables in connection with the case.

NIA is, however, yet to recover DVR and CCTV footage of the shop from where fake number plates were allegedly made for the SUV as well as an Innova, which was seen tailing the SUV parked near Antilia. Vaze and his team had allegedly visited the shop, located around 500 metres away from that of Hiran’s, and collected its DVR and CCTV footage, said the Mumbai Police officer.

A second Mumbai Police officer, who is privy to the investigation, said the Innova – in which the SUV driver fled after abandoning the SUV outside Ambani’s home – had entered Mumbai again 30 minutes after exiting the Mulund check post.

“The Innova again went to the same place where the SUV was parked, as the driver had forgotten something in the SUV. The Innova driver is seen again in the footage found near the spot. But the driver is in a PPE kit, perhaps to hide his identity,” said the second officer, adding that Vaze and other suspects would be made to walk in a PPE kit to ascertain the identity of the Innova driver by trying to match their comparative movements.

Meanwhile, three deputy inspector general level officers of NIA have arrived in Mumbai to join the ongoing investigation in the case.