Antilia explosives scare: Accused Anand Jadhav applies for bail
Anand Jadhav, accused in the Antilia bomb scare case, seeks bail, claiming no evidence links him to Thane trader Hiren's murder.
MUMBAI: Anand Jadhav, an accused in the Antilia bomb scare case, on Monday filed a bail application before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, claiming there was no evidence to prove his connection with the murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiren.
The NIA arrested Jadhav in June 2021 for his alleged role in the murder of Hiren, the owner of the explosives-laden SUV found parked near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani on February 25, 2021. Hiren’s body was found in a Thane creek a few days later. Jadhav, as per the prosecution, had arranged for a car, a Chevrolet Tavera, in which Hiren was killed at Ghodbunder Road in Thane.
Seeking bail for Jadhav, his lawyer, Mithilesh Mishra, submitted that there was no material to connect his client with the case. He said only one witness identified Jadhav, but the NIA has not corroborated that the man identified by the witness was in fact his client. He added that the charges sheet doesn’t mention that a Tavera car was used for Hiren’s murder and that there was no CCTV footage or call records to prove his involvement.
The lawyer also submitted that Jadhav has been languishing in jail for over two years, and that the trial is not likely to start in the near future, as the charges have not yet been framed against the accused persons in the case.
Soni retracts confession
Meanwhile, Manish Soni, another accused in the case, sent a letter from Yerawada Central Jail to the special NIA court on Wednesday, seeking to retract his confessional statement.
In his confession, Soni had narrated the events leading to Hiren’s death and described the roles of his co-accused, Santosh Shelar, Satish Mothkuri and Anand Jadhav, who were allegedly involved in the murder and disposing of the body.
The special court has directed NIA to respond to the letter by October 25.