Vaze
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday recorded statements of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) posted with the Mumbai crime branch to verify some of the information that has surfaced during the probe. The DCP was reportedly present in Sachin Vaze’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) office when Vaze had met Mansukh Hiran on March 3. On March 5, Hiran’s body was found in a creek in Mumbra. The NIA late on Monday night took Vaze to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from where he had boarded a train to Thane on the day of Hiran’s murder.
“During the probe, it got revealed that a DCP rank officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch had visited Vaze’s office on March 3. On that day, Vaze had a meeting with Mansukh Hiran. We wanted to speak to the DCP to ascertain what was his purpose of visit to Vaze’s office and verify some information that has come to light during the probe,” said an investigator.
However, sources in the Mumbai police claimed that the DCP had visited the crime branch office for some official work and it happened that he visited Vaze’s office when Hiran was also present there. “As per our knowledge, the DCP was not part of the conversation that took place between Vaze and Hiran,” said an officer.
The NIA late on Monday night took suspended police officer Vaze to the CSMT from where he had boarded a train to Thane on the day of Hiran’s murder.
In a CCTV footage of March 4, Vaze was seen taking a train from the CSMT to Thane, hence a team of the NIA took Vaze to the CSMT to recreate the scene, officials said.
Later, the NIA also took Vaze to the Mumbra creek in Thane district where Hiran’s body was found on March 5.
During recreation of the scene at the CSMT on Monday, the NIA sleuths asked Vaze to walk on its platform no. 4 to compare his movement with the man seen in the CCTV footage, the official said.
The NIA team, which spent over an hour each at the CSMT and the Mumbra creek, was accompanied by some witnesses, forensic experts, and the Railway Protection Force officials.
The NIA is conducting a probe into the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence at Carmichael Road on February 25 and the subsequent murder of Hiran.
The probe agency arrested Vaze last month for his alleged role in planting the vehicle with explosives near Ambani’s house.
Earlier also, the NIA had taken Vaze to various places, including a five-star hotel where he stayed on a fake identity, an office in Andheri where a conspiracy meeting was allegedly held, and the Mumbra creek.
As part of its probe into the case, the NIA has seized a number of high-end vehicles used by Vaze.
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