Mukesh Ambani Bomb Scare Case Gets Murkier, Top Cop Transferred: Here's What We Know So Far

It looks like Mukesh Ambani security scare case is only getting murkier by the day. A day after the Opposition BJP demanded an arrest of police officer Sachin Vaze, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has informed that he will be removed from the crime branch.

¡°Police officer Sachin Vaze will be removed from his current posting in the crime branch till the investigation is completed. I am taking this decision in view of the rising demand from the opposition. We will take appropriate action against Vaze if he is involved in his death,¡± Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said in the state Assembly today.

BCCL

What happened?

Vaze was the investigative officer in the case of explosives being found in a Scorpio near Mukesh Ambani¡¯s home at the beginning of the probe before he was replaced by another officer.

This comes after Vimla Hiren, the wife of the Mansukh Hiren, who owned the Scorpio accused Vaze of playing a role in the alleged murder of her husband. Mansukh Hiren was an auto parts dealer who died mysteriously last week. She had alleged in her statement to the ATS that Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze might have killed her husband.

ANI

All this began after a Scorpio with explosives was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house in South Mumbai on February 25. Hiren, a Thane resident, had claimed the car had been stolen from his possession a week earlier. Hiren himself was found dead in Thane creek on March 5.

Hiren's wife's explosive allegations

On Tuesday, she alleged in her statement before ATS that Vaze had been using the car, from November 2020 till February 5. She further alleged that Vaze had told her husband to get arrested in the case and assured him that he will be bailed out in a few days. She further said, "On February 2, Vaze through his driver returned the car. My husband started to use the car regularly but he was facing technical problems with it," she said.

BCCL

On February 17, Mansukh left the car in the Vikhroli area and headed towards Mumbai. The next day when he returned he alleged that car was missing and later went to Vikhroli Police Station and filed a complaint regarding the same.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis also read parts of Vimla¡¯s statement in the state assembly and demanded the arrest of Vaze in connection with the case. Fadnavis demanded that if not murder, Vaze should at least be arrested for destruction of evidence and alleged if he was not arrested, someone was protecting Vaze.

Who is Sachin Vaze?

Vaze is one of Mumbai Police¡¯s so called ¡°encounter specialists¡±. He was reinstated in June 2020 after a 16-year suspension for his alleged role in the custodial death of a 27-year-old man, Khwaja Yunus, in 2003, and swiftly became the Mumbai Police¡¯s go to man for all its high-profile cases.

Within days of returning to the force, Vaze was moved to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch and made in charge of the Crimes Investigation Unit. Soon after, he began handling probes such as the fake social media followers case in which rapper Badshah was summoned, before moving on to the TRP case and leading the Raigad Police team to arrest Goswami from his Worli residence. He also led raids on hookah parlours at night.