Antilia case: NIA court frames charges against Sachin Vaze, Pradeep Sharma, others

A special NIA court in Mumbai on Saturday framed charges against 10 people, including former policemen Sachin Vaze and Pradeep Sharma, in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder case. The accused will face trial under the Indian Penal Code for murder, extortion, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy, along with relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Special National Investigation Agency court judge Chakor Baviskar framed the charges after the accused pleaded not guilty. Besides Vaze and Sharma, the other accused are Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, Vinayak Shinde, Anand Jadhav, Satish Tirupati Mothkuri, Manish Vasantbhai Soni, Naresh Gaur and Santosh Shelar. Kazi, Mane and Shinde are also former policemen.

The prosecution has accused all 10 of forming a "terrorist gang" and entering into a criminal conspiracy between February and March 2021. An SUV containing explosives was found near billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani's south Mumbai residence, Antilia, on February 25, 2021. Businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV had been stolen from him, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021. A few days later, Vaze, once known as an "encounter specialist" police officer, was arrested in the case.

According to the NIA, the accused allegedly posted a message on the Telegram channel "Jaishish-Ul-Hind" carrying the threat, "Agle baar connect ho kar ayega" (next time the bomb's wires will be connected), to create the impression that a terrorist organisation was involved. In draft charges filed earlier, the agency identified Vaze as the mastermind and alleged that his motive was to terrorise wealthy individuals and extort money to meet a Rs 100-crore monthly target allegedly set by a high-ranking political figure, while also trying to regain his "lost glory" as a "super cop".

The NIA also alleged that Vaze conspired with the other accused to eliminate Hiran because he refused to take the blame for the explosives and was seen as a "weak link" who could expose the conspiracy. Sharma, another former "encounter specialist" officer of Mumbai Police, allegedly played a key role in the plot to abduct and kill Hiran. The agency claimed he was involved in procuring SIM cards and had directed Shelar, Jadhav, Mothkuri and Soni to dump Hiran's body into the Thane creek.

To cover up the crime, the accused allegedly destroyed key evidence, including digital video recorders, CCTV footage and the victim's mobile phone. The draft charges also said the operation was partly funded through extortion. According to the prosecution, the conspirators used benami SIM cards and unregistered mobile phones to hide their identities, while the policemen among them created fake alibis by staging midnight raids and preparing nil panchnamas to show they were on duty away from the crime scenes.

While Sharma, Kazi, Gaur and Mane are out on bail, Vaze and the remaining five accused continue to be in judicial custody. The case centres on the explosives-laden SUV found near Antilia, Hiran's killing days later, and the NIA's allegations of conspiracy, extortion and a cover-up involving all 10 accused.

A special NIA court in Mumbai on Saturday framed charges against 10 people, including former policemen Sachin Vaze and Pradeep Sharma, in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder case. The accused will face trial under the Indian Penal Code for murder, extortion, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy, along with relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Special National Investigation Agency court judge Chakor Baviskar framed the charges after the accused pleaded not guilty. Besides Vaze and Sharma, the other accused are Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, Vinayak Shinde, Anand Jadhav, Satish Tirupati Mothkuri, Manish Vasantbhai Soni, Naresh Gaur and Santosh Shelar. Kazi, Mane and Shinde are also former policemen.

The prosecution has accused all 10 of forming a "terrorist gang" and entering into a criminal conspiracy between February and March 2021. An SUV containing explosives was found near billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani's south Mumbai residence, Antilia, on February 25, 2021. Businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV had been stolen from him, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021. A few days later, Vaze, once known as an "encounter specialist" police officer, was arrested in the case.

According to the NIA, the accused allegedly posted a message on the Telegram channel "Jaishish-Ul-Hind" carrying the threat, "Agle baar connect ho kar ayega" (next time the bomb's wires will be connected), to create the impression that a terrorist organisation was involved. In draft charges filed earlier, the agency identified Vaze as the mastermind and alleged that his motive was to terrorise wealthy individuals and extort money to meet a Rs 100-crore monthly target allegedly set by a high-ranking political figure, while also trying to regain his "lost glory" as a "super cop".

The NIA also alleged that Vaze conspired with the other accused to eliminate Hiran because he refused to take the blame for the explosives and was seen as a "weak link" who could expose the conspiracy. Sharma, another former "encounter specialist" officer of Mumbai Police, allegedly played a key role in the plot to abduct and kill Hiran. The agency claimed he was involved in procuring SIM cards and had directed Shelar, Jadhav, Mothkuri and Soni to dump Hiran's body into the Thane creek.

To cover up the crime, the accused allegedly destroyed key evidence, including digital video recorders, CCTV footage and the victim's mobile phone. The draft charges also said the operation was partly funded through extortion. According to the prosecution, the conspirators used benami SIM cards and unregistered mobile phones to hide their identities, while the policemen among them created fake alibis by staging midnight raids and preparing nil panchnamas to show they were on duty away from the crime scenes.

While Sharma, Kazi, Gaur and Mane are out on bail, Vaze and the remaining five accused continue to be in judicial custody. The case centres on the explosives-laden SUV found near Antilia, Hiran's killing days later, and the NIA's allegations of conspiracy, extortion and a cover-up involving all 10 accused.