Mumbai bomb scare: Mansukh Hiren’s Ola driver grilled, cop Sachin Vaze transferred [TOP POINTS] – Times Now

Mumbai: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Tuesday met the Mumbai Crime Branch chief in Maharashtra’s Mumbai in connection with the investigation into the vehicle with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, on February 25. The NIA had taken over the case on Monday.

The Central agency’s team met Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Milind Bharambe and discussed the probe carried out so far.

This is to be recalled that on February 25, a Scorpio with gelatin sticks was found on Carmichael Road near Ambani’s residence, Antilia. It later surfaced that the SUV belonged to Thane-based automobile spare parts dealer Mansukh Hiren and was stolen from him on February 17. Hiren told police that he had filed a police complaint in this regard. However, the mystery deepened when Hiren’s body was found in the Kalwa creek, near Reti Bandar, near Mumbra town on March 5.

Mumbai bomb scare: Top developments

• Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, who was accused by the widow of Mansukh Hiren of killing her husband, has been transferred. “Assistant Police Inspector Vaze is currently serving with the Crime Branch… We have decided to remove him from there to another department,” said Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been calling for Vaze’s suspension and arrest since Hiren’s body was found on March 5.
• The Maharashtra Assembly had on Wednesday witnessed an uproar after it emerged that Vimla Hiren, the wife of late Mansukh Hiren, had filed an FIR with the Kalachowki police station on March 7, stating, “I suspect (API) Vaze must have murdered my husband”, and sought a probe. She also mentioned in her complaint that her late husband had given the SUV to Vaze in November 2020. However, Vaze had returned it on February 5, claiming that its steering wheel was getting jammed. While en route to Mumbai from his home in Thane on February 17 in the same Scorpio, Hiren experienced the issue of jammed steering. He reportedly left the vehicle near the Mulund toll post and took off in a private taxi. On February 18, he went to the same spot along with a mechanic and found out that the SUV was missing. He then filed a complaint with the Vikhroli police station later that day.
• Sources have told Times Now that investigating agencies have questioned the Ola cab driver, who had driven Mansukh Hiren to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on February 17. It was on the same day when Mansukh’s SUV was allegedly stolen. The driver informed agencies that Hiren had booked his cab and the drop location was Crawford market. However, the Thane businessman later changed his drop location to near Shivala hotel in CST. The cabbie further reportedly told investigators that he spotted Hiren handing over some keys to a person, who was already waiting for him at the drop location. His claims are yet to be verified by agencies. 
• BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had yesterday hit out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. While speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly, Fadnavis asked: “Whom does the state want to protect?” He added: “Mansukh Hiren’s body was found later around 40 km away… He may have been murdered in the vehicle and the body may have been thrown into the (Thane) Creek. Since there was a low tide, the body was recovered.”