Antilia security scare: Number plates recovered from Mithi of stolen vehicle

The identical vehicle number plates recovered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Mithi river in Mumbai on Sunday in connection with the Antilia security scare case belonged to a stolen vehicle owned by a state government servant.

Vinay Nade, a resident of Jalna employed as a clerk with the state’s social welfare department, had reported the vehicle, a Maruti Eco, stolen from Aurangabad district in November 2020. Police inspector Sambhaji Pawar of the City Chowk police station in Aurangabad confirmed that a case of vehicle theft was registered on November 20, 2020 on the basis of a complaint lodged by Nade.

“My car with the number ‘MH-20-FP-1539 T’ was stolen on November 16, 2020, and an FIR was filed. I have a copy of the same. For three months, there was no information but yesterday, I was informed about it,” Nade to ANI.

The NIA on Sunday took former assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze to a spot near the Mithi river in a bid to recover crucial evidence with the help of professional divers, even as officials said the suspended policeman tried to destroy proof related to investigations into an explosives-laden car found near billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the death of a man linked to the vehicle.

NIA investigators recovered two digital video recorders (DVRs), two CPUs, a laptop and two vehicle registration plates with the help of divers, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

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The development comes after the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government decided to conduct a judicial probe into allegations of corruption levelled against home minister Anil Deshmukh by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who was removed amid investigations into the two cases that have also triggered political slugfest in the state.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday claimed he had warned some party leaders that Vaze could create problems for the coalition government and that the episode has taught some lessons to the Shiv Sena-led coalition government.

The central agency is probing the cases of the recovery of the car outside the south Mumbai residence of Ambani and the subsequent death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

Vaze was arrested on March 13 for his alleged role in planting the explosives-laden car. He has also been accused of masterminding Hiran’s murder, which the NIA is also investigating.

“During interrogation of accused Sachin Vaze, he disclosed willingly to show the place where he threw the material used in the crime and destroyed the evidence. Accordingly, two independent witnesses were called and his voluntary statement was recorded. Further, accused showed the place as Mithi River, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai,” an NIA official said.

“The said place was searched with the help of divers. NIA recovered one laptop, one printer, 2 hard disks, a pair of number plates, 2 CPUs, 2 DVRs, etc. The said articles were identified by rightful owners/custodians from whom accused Sachin Vaze had collected them illegally without proper documentation. Also, the laptop and printer recovered was used by Sachin Vaze in his office,” the official added.This is one of the most important recoveries made in the investigation so far.

An NIA officer said that most of the items were damaged before they were thrown into the river. He added that the recovered articles would be sent to Pune’s forensic science laboratory and the Centre for Developing Advanced Computing, for data retrieval.

He added that the laptop and the printer recovered from Mithi river were used by Vaze in his office in the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Crime Branch. “A visible effort was made by the accused to destroy the same as hammer marks are present on them,” the officer said.

Vaze was initially the investigating officer in the case; he got all the evidence in his custody and after Hiran’s murder, when he realised that the case could go to some other agency, he tried to destroy the proof, an official said. According to people familiar with the developments, the DVRs were allegedly removed from the housing society in Thane where Vaze lives. NIA also learnt that a lot of evidence collected by Vaze as the investigating officer was not recorded in the case diary, as the main aim was to destroy it to save himself, said another officer, asking not to be identified.

“A group of 10 divers conducted search around three hours and recovered crucial evidence,” another NIA official said on condition of anonymity.

The NIA probe team reached the spot at 3.15pm and the search was conducted till 6pm with the help of local divers, the second NIA official said. It is suspected that assistant police inspector Riyazuddin Kaazi told NIA during his interrogation that the evidences were thrown into the Mithi river, according to news agency Press Trust of India. An official told ANI that the DVRs have a recording of Vaze’s society where the car was parked between February 17 and February 24 before it was planted.

Hiran, linked to the car that was found containing explosives outside Ambani’s house, was found dead on March 5 in Thane.Investigations into his death were being carried out by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) until the Union home ministry handed over the probe to NIA.

Vaze was earlier in NIA custody till March 25 for his alleged role and involvement in planting the explosives-laden vehicle. Later, a special NIA court on March 25 allowed the agency his custody till April 3.

(With inputs from agencies)