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Mansukh Hiran murder solved, Sachin Vaze prime accused: Maha ATS
Maharashtra ATS DIG Shivdeep Lande said: “The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have solved Mansukh Hiran’s death case.”
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a policeman and a bookie in connection with the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said on Sunday, adding that suspended Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze was being treated as prime accused in the case that the agency “has solved”.
The two accused, identified as policeman Vinayak Shinde and bookie Naresh Gaur, were arrested late on Saturday, an ATS official said. However, the agency did not share any details of what the investigation revealed.
Hiran’s wife, at the time of filing an FIR, raised suspicion about Vaze’s involvement in her husband’s death. In a press statement on Sunday, ATS said Vaze was being treated as the prime accused.
Maharashtra ATS DIG Shivdeep Lande said: “The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have solved Mansukh Hiran’s death case.”
Shinde is a convict in the 2006 Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case and he came out of jail on furlough last year, an official said, adding that Shinde was in touch with Vaze since then.
“Sachin Vaze is a prime accused in the Hiran murder case. He had played a key role. During the probe, the ATS found that Gaur had provided five SIM cards to API Vaze and Shinde for the crime. Shinde used to help Vaze in his illegal activities,” the official added. He said ATS was investigating if more people were involved in the case.
The Centre on Saturday suo motu handed over the probe into Hiran’s death to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been probing a car laden with explosives found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence last month.
NIA will take over the case from the Maharashtra ATS, which has been investigating the possible murder of Hiran, a 48-year-old Thane-based auto spare parts dealer, who is linked to the Scorpio that was found with 20 loose gelatin sticks, and a threatening letter addressed to the Ambanis, outside their Antilia residence on February 25.
NIA arrested suspended police officer Vaze on March 13 for purportedly planting the explosives in the Scorpio. ATS has also questioned Vaze over his role in Hiran’s death after it came to light through the statement of Hiran’s wife, Vimla, that the two knew each other.
ATS arrested the two accused in the case hours after it was announced that the probe into the case of Hiran’s death was being transferred to the central agency.
“The mystery of the highly sensitive Mansukh Hiran murder case has been solved. I heartily salute all my colleagues (in ATS), who had put efforts through day and night and complete the investigation in a lawful manner to achieve the result. This case was one of the most complex cases of my police career till date,” Lande wrote in a Facebook post.
Lande did not respond to HT’s phone calls and messages for further details on the probe.
