Bombay HC questions Sachin Waze’s regular use of high-end cars

The Bombay high court on Thursday questioned how former assistant police inspector (API) Sachin Waze could own fleet of high-end cars, including Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, etc., while hearing the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) appeal against a trial court’s order granting him bail in the Antilia explosives scare and connected murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran.

While additional solicitor general Anil Singh, appearing for NIA, was highlighting the statement of a witness, a division bench of justices Girish Kulkarni and Dr Neela Gokhale noted that the witnesses consistently mentioned that Waze travelled in a Mercedes and asked as to whose car it was.

Singh replied that it belonged to Waze.

The court said that when a crime is attributed to a person in uniform, other aspects, including his integrity, how he has been conducting himself, his loyalty to the uniform needs to be considered as well. “Everywhere in the statements, we are noting that this man (Waze) is moving in a Mercedes. How much is his salary?” it asked and said Waze, an API, is referred to travelling in a Mercedes to his own office, to the office of the Commissioner of Police and even to Varsha Bungalow (official residence of the chief minister).

Singh submitted that there is nothing inherently unusual about an API owning luxury cars. “His salary was around ₹90,000. The Commissioner of Police might not own a Mercedes but an API may have. The Municipal Commissioner may not own such costly vehicles but a junior engineer may. Some APIs and junior engineers of the Corporation are owners of 3-star hotels. Forget about this car,” Singh added.

On Wednesday, Singh had claimed that Waze intended to create terror not only in the minds of the Ambani family but also among the general public. “He was suspended earlier. He wanted to create terror for two reasons—extort ransom money and subsequently resolve the situation to emerge as a ‘super cop’ within the agency,” Singh told the court.

The bench, on Thursday, referred to the material on record, and pointed out that Waze owned five high-end cars, including BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. It noted that the prosecution had invoked provisions of extortion against Waze. “Since ultimately you’re linking the case to extortion. Relevant sections of extortion are applied against him. We have to cover all this aspect,” the court observed.

NIA also referred to Waze’s alleged 100-day booking at the Oberoi Hotel before the incident took place. “He can even stay in the Oberoi Hotel for 100 days,” Singh remarked.

The case arises from three interconnected first information reports (FIRs) registered in Mumbai in February-March 2021. The first case was registered on February 18, 2021, based on Thane-based auto parts dealer Hiran’s complaint about his Mahindra Scorpio SUV being stolen from Vikhroli.

On February 25, the vehicle was found parked outside Antilia with 20 gelatine sticks and a letter threatening the Ambani family, which triggered the second FIR. The third FIR pertained to the subsequent alleged murder of Hiran, whose body was found dumped in a creek near Mumbra on March 5, 2021.

According to NIA, Waze himself had parked the SUV outside Antilia and given a contract to Pradip Sharma, his former encounter squad colleague, to kill Hiran, after the businessman refused to take the blame for planting the vehicle. Sharma allegedly arranged for four contract killers, while another police officer, inspector Sunil Mane, fetched Hiran from his house and handed him over to the contract killers, the agency claimed.

NIA arrested Waze in March 2021. Over five years later, on September 29, a special NIA court granted Waze bail, noting that the agency failed to justify anti-terror charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). However, just a day later, the high court stayed the bail order following an urgent appeal by NIA.