Crime and politics

 Right since the day when an explosives-laden Scorpio was found with 20 gelatin sticks weighing 2.6 kgs, parked near the South Mumbai home of Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia on February 25, the news raised many speculations and the most pertinent being- why would anyone want to harm the Ambanis? There were speculations that perhaps it could have been business rivalry or even a terrorist plot. The latter appeared more obvious since terrorism continues to be a hot topic all over India and especially linked with Islamic jihadi groups. However, the Antilia explosive case has taken many turns along the way and today, it has become an issue for political slug fest between the BJP and the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. The case grew more curious days later, when Mumbai Police disclosed that the owner of the Scorpio – Mansukh Hiren- had died of suicide by jumping into the Kalwa creek. This made the case more mysterious when former Maharastra chief minister and BJP leader Devenddra Fadnavis alleged that Vaze had been in frequent touch with Mansukh Hiren, a Thane man with a car decor business who had been in possession of the vehicle that sparked the security scare outside Antilia in Mumbai’s Carmichael Road. Hiren’s wife alleged that Vaze was behind her husband’s murder. She also alleged that the Scorpio had been with Vaze for several months until February 5 this year. The Maharashtra government handed over the case to the Anti Terror Squad(ATS).However, the Centre ordered the National Investigation Agency(NIA) to probe the case. While probing the case, NIA arrested Sachin Hindurao Vaze on March 13. Vaze was in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), and virtually leading the investigation into the security scare outside Antilia. It may be mentioned that Vaze is an Assistant Police Inspector of the Mumbai Police. He was one of the original group of Mumbai’s so-called “encounter specialists” He returned to the force in 2020 after a 16-year hiatus when r he resigned after being placed under suspension. It was mentioned that Vaze had then joined the Shiv Sena after quitting the force but was reinstated and posted to the Crime Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Police. Vaze also had a past history as one of four policemen charged with murder and destruction of evidence in the custodial killing of 27-year-old engineer Khwaja Yunus, picked up in Mumbai in 2002 under the Prevention Of Terrorism Act (POTA). The four men were interrogated and Yunus was last seen in custody by the other three on January 6, 2003. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh then transferred Police Commissioner Parambir Singh as DG Home Guards purportedly to ensure fair probe. The case took another turn when Parambir in a letter to the state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, claimed that Deshmukh had asked Vaze to collect Rs.100 crore a month from business persons. After the letter bomb, the Antilia case turned into a political battle. The BJP has demanded the resignation of Deshmukh who belongs to the NCP. Thus, the Antilia case turned to Hiren case then to Vaze case and to letter bomb case which now engulfs both the BJP and MVA.