Mumbai: Suspended police officer Sachin Vaze filed Monday a ‘habeas corpus’ petition in the Bombay High Court. He challenged his arrest by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) in connection with the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near Mukesh Ambani’s house. Sachin Vaze, an assistant police inspector with Mumbai police, was arrested Saturday by the NIA for his alleged involvement.
The petition, filed through his brother Sudharm, claimed that Vaze (49) was made a ‘scapegoat’ by ‘certain political powers’. A Habeas Corpus petition is usually filed to challenge ‘illegal’ detention or arrest.
The plea has been moved by Vaze’s his lawyer Sunny Punamiya. It sought a direction to the NIA to produce Vaze before the HC. It also asked the NIA to prove that due procedure was followed during the arrest.
The police officer was provided a copy of the FIR. He was also not explained the reasons for arrest, nor was his family informed, the petition said. The haste with which he was arrested showed that the central agency acted with malafide intentions, it alleged.
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The NIA is probing the recovery of the explosives-laden Scorpio near Ambani’s multi-storey house ‘Antilia’ here last month.
The case was taken over by the NIA after the mysterious death of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran. He had claimed the vehicle had been stolen from his possession.
The petition said the allegations made by Hiran’s wife, blaming Vaze for her husband’s death, were false.
After the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad registered an FIR against him, the ‘entire media fraternity and society started targeting’ him as they wanted a ‘scapegoat to pin this entire conspiracy on’, Vaze claimed in the petition. It is yet to be listed for hearing.
