After raid at Vaze’s office, NIA says he hid evidence
Vaze, who was arrested by NIA and remanded to custody till March 25 by a special NIA court, was lead investigator before the case was transferred to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad a few days later.
In a search conducted late on Monday night at the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) office in the Mumbai Police headquarters, National Investigation Authority (NIA) officials found evidence that had not been recorded in the log but was seized in the initial days of the investigation of the explosives-laden car found parked outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25.
Officials privy to the investigations in the case said that former CIU head Sachin Vaze, who was arrested by NIA on Monday, would likely be made to walk in a PPE kit in a recreation of the scene, to ascertain whether he was he driver of the car that tailed the explosives-laden car.
NIA searched the cabin of the arrested Crime Branch cop from 8pm on March 15 to 4am on Tuesday and seized a laptop, an iPad, a phone, and documents among other material.
The team also recovered the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera footage from a Thane housing complex where Vaze lives. The DVR was not mentioned in the list of Muddemal (seized evidence), and the central probe agency suspected that it was collected to destroy evidence which could implicate Vaze, an official said.
“Vaze was heading the CIU so he issued an official letter that he required DVR of his residential complex and collected the same from his building but did not show the DVR and the CCTV footage as collected evidence in official record of the case,” a senior police official said on the condition of anonymity.
Vaze, who was arrested by NIA and remanded to custody till March 25 by a special NIA court, was lead investigator before the case was transferred to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad a few days later. The Union home ministry directed the NIA to take over the investigation of the explosives found in the Scorpio on March 8. NIA questioned Vaze for over 12 hours on March 13 and found discrepancies in the recording of case evidence.
On Tuesday, the agency questioned Vaze’s colleague at the CIU, Assistant Police Inspector Riyazuddin Kazi for the third day in a row. The investigating team also questioned other officials including Assistant Commissioner of Police Nitin Alaknure, API Prakash Howal, police inspector Milind Kathe and three constables.
It was learnt that CCTV footage from Saket Complex where Vaze has lived for over 20 years was seized by a team of four CIU officers on February 27 at 8.30pm, two days after 20 loose gelatin sticks were found in a Scorpio parked outside Antilia, Ambani’s residence.
However, this DVR was not logged into evidence but was found in Vaze’s cabin during the NIA search.
Vaze is also under investigation for his role in the suspicious death of 48-year-old Mansukh Hiran, a Thane-based auto spare parts businessman, who was linked to the Scorpio found parked outside the Ambani residence. The case is being probed by the ATS.
CCTV footage collected from a department store across the road from Antilia revealed that on the intervening night of February 24 and 25 a Scorpio car had arrived accompanied by an Innova car. After waiting for a couple of hours, the Scorpio driver left in the Innova. Neither driver was reportedly visible in the footage.
NIA on Sunday seized a white colour Innova car used by CIU officers and claimed that the car was the same Innova which had tailed the Scorpio. The Innova and the Scorpio were found bearing fake number plates, and a set of three number plates were also recovered from inside the Scorpio.
On Tuesday, NIA also seized a black-coloured Mercedes Benz, which was used by Sachin Vaze. Upon inspection the team ₹5 lakh cash, a counting machine, clothes and the registration number plate which was on the Scorpio.
Meanwhile, a video clip showing a man walking in a PPE kit at night, purportedly meant to be the driver of the Innova, surfaced on Tuesday. HT has not been able to independently verify the video.
“The Innova went to the same place where Scorpio was parked. The Innova driver is therefore again seen in CCTV footage at the spot, but in a PPE kit, perhaps to hide his identity,” one of the officials cited above said.
The officer said that Vaze would likely be made to walk in PPE kit in a recreation of the scene and to ascertain whether he was the driver of the Innova by trying to compare the movements.
The special NIA court on Tuesday rejected Vaze’s claim that his arrest was illegal. The court also rejected his contention that no sanction of the government prior to his arrest was obtained as his actions were part of his duty.