Bombay High Court cancels Sachin Waze's bail in Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case

The Bombay High Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted by a lower court to former Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case.

A bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale passed the order. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had appealed against the Special Court's order of September 29, which had granted Waze bail. The bench allowed the appeal. The High Court order said, "The order of the Special Court is quashed and set aside. The appeal of the NIA is allowed."

Waze is an accused in the Antilia bomb scare case. In February 2021, an SUV loaded with explosives was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai. Mansukh Hiran, a potential witness in the case, was later found dead. He had been murdered.

The High Court had earlier stayed the bail granted by the Special NIA Court on an interim basis. Because of this, Waze, a former assistant police inspector, remained in judicial custody in Thane Central Jail, where he has been lodged for the past five years.

The NIA had opposed bail for the dismissed police officer. The agency said Waze could tamper with witnesses and destroy evidence. The NIA's counsel said, "He (Waze) has earlier been an accused in a fake encounter case. He was a police officer whose job was to protect the public. But he himself took part in criminal activities in which he not only tried to spread fear and terror, but killed a man."

At the previous hearing of the NIA's appeal in October, the High Court had expressed surprise at Waze's lifestyle, especially his use of expensive cars. The bench also pointed out that Waze had stayed in a room at the Oberoi hotel for about 100 days. The court asked how an officer of assistant police inspector rank could drive such expensive cars. According to the High Court, these matters relating to Waze's financial position, conduct and professional record are important for assessing the allegations against him.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appeared for the NIA. He placed before the court witness statements that mentioned Waze's use of expensive and luxury cars while he was an assistant police inspector. Singh read out one witness's statement, according to which Waze travelled in a black Mercedes and made those with him switch off their mobile phones.

The court asked whether the Mercedes belonged to Waze and whether there was any proof that the car was registered in his name. When the NIA answered in the affirmative, the court asked whether it was normal for an assistant police inspector to own such an expensive car. The court remarked, "Since we have never seen an assistant police inspector drive a Mercedes..."

The court also sought details of Waze's other vehicles from the NIA and examined a list of five cars he used while an assistant police inspector. The list included a white BMW, a black Volvo, a white Mercedes, a white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and another black Mercedes. Seeing so many vehicles, the court said, "He has five cars..."

The court also recorded that, according to the statements filed by the NIA, Waze had travelled in an expensive Mercedes to the office of the Mumbai Police Commissioner and to 'Varsha', the residence of the Maharashtra Chief Minister. Singh told the court that Waze stayed for about 100 days at a seven-star hotel in South Mumbai. The court asked how a police officer earning about Rs 90,000 a month at the time could sustain such an expensive lifestyle. The NIA said the cars Waze owned and used are being linked to the alleged extortion in this case.