Major Development! NIA slaps UAPA charges on Sachin Vaze

Mumbai, Mar 25: In yet another development in the Antilia bomb threat case, the National Investigation Agency ( NIA ) has now invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze for his alleged role. The agency added charges under UAPA pertaining to punishment for a terrorist act and criminal conspiracy.

 

 

 

Under UAPA, the maximum police custody can be of 30 days. The investigating agency can get an extension of 90 days to file a charge sheet (additional to the usual 90 days). Securing bail will be much more tough in comparison with other sections.

 

 

 

In the same case, the NIA had said the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has not transferred papers of the Mansukh Hiran murder case. However, a court in Thane on Wednesday directed the state agency to not proceed with the probe and transfer all documents and records of the case to the central agency.

 

 

The NIA had approached the chief judicial magistrate of Thane on Tuesday seeking transfer of all the court records of the murder case to the special NIA court in Mumbai. Additional solicitor general Anil Singh Wednesday submitted before the court that the NIA had taken over the Ambani residence bomb threat case from the NIA on March 8 and on Saturday the Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered that the murder case be transferred to the NIA since it is connected with the earlier case.

 

“In the present circumstances, police officer of ATS… shall not proceed with the investigation in this crime and transmit all relevant documents and records to the concerned police officer of the NIA without any delay,” Chief Judicial Magistrate P P Ingale said relying on the NIA Act. The court also ordered the transfer of all court records in the Hiran case to the special NIA court in Mumbai.

 

 

Meanwhile, a team of NIA is looking into Vaze’s stay in Trident Hotel at Nariman Point earlier this year. Vaze submitted a fake Aadhaar card and booked a room in the hotel for several days. The NIA suspects Vaze planned some part of the crime during his stay at the hotel. When contacted, authorities at the hotel responded through email and refused to give details. Their statement said, “The case is being investigated by National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Anti – Terrorism Squad, Mumbai Police. The investigation is ongoing and we are extending our fullest cooperation.”

 

Vaze, Assistant Police Inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) was arrested in connection with the investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai on February 25.

 

 

Vaze who was transferred to the Citizen Facilitation Centre at Mumbai Police Headquarters after his name came up in Mansukh Hiren's death case, has been sent to the NIA custody till March 25, in connection with his alleged role and involvement in placing an explosives-laden vehicle.