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SUV Case: NIA ‘recreates’ crime scene with Sachin Vaze near Antilia

Arrested Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze who is currently in NIA custody till March 25 was ferried to the spot and tried to play out the crime scene, as it could have happened.

SNS | New Delhi | March 20, 2021 1:20 pm

SUV Case: NIA ‘recreates’ crime scene with Sachin Vaze near Antilia

While some of these vehicles were used by Vaze some were also driven by Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren, who was found dead in the Thane Creek wetlands on March 5. (Photo: IANS/Sandeep Mahankal)

Early on Saturday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) tried to ‘recreate’ the crime scene in which an SUV (Scorpio) with 20 gelatin sticks and a threat note was parked around half a kilometre away from Antilia, the home of Mukesh Ambani, said officials.

Arrested Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze who is currently in NIA custody till March 25 was ferried to the spot and tried to play out the crime scene, as it could have happened.

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Secured by a large posse of Mumbai Police, the NIA made Vaze ‘walk down the road’ near Antilia from the spot where the SUV was recovered, to check his gait, movement, timings, etc, to tally with the investigations and evidence collected so far in the case.

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This was an important field probe trip for NIA with Vaze who has previously been taken to various other locations in Mumbai and Thane to recreate the entire set of circumstances culminating in the SUV imbroglio on February 25.

Around six high-end cars/SUVs, including two Mercedes, a Scorpio, an Innova and a Toyota LandCruiser Prado have been seized by the NIA to date which are undergoing special forensic tests by an expert team from Pune.

While some of these vehicles were used by Vaze some were also driven by Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren, who was found dead in the Thane Creek wetlands on March 5.

The development came hours after an NIA team comprising IGP Anil Shukla and SP Vikram Khalate met the new Mumbai Commissioner of Police Hemant Nagrale, Joint CP (Crime) Milind Bharambe and DCP (Crime) Akbar Pathan, at the police commissionerate on Friday.

The NIA is probing the SUV case while the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) is investigating the Hiren death matter.

(With IANS inputs)

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# India

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.