Interrogationof Mumbai Police "encounter specialist" Sachin Vaze in the Ambanisecurity scare case points towards a deep-rooted conspiracy involving a few"powerful" persons.
AssistantPolice Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze, seen close to the top leadership of ShivSena, has been in touch with "powerful" persons during the period hehatched a conspiracy to plant a gelatin sticks-laden SUV near industrialistMukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai, sources in the National Investigation Agency(NIA) said.
WhileNIA officials remained tight-lipped over revealing Vaze's "powerful"connection, BJP spokesperson and legislator Ram Kadam said that thecontroversial cop is patronised by Shiv Sena leadership and he cannot executethe crime to scare the top business house of the country without the tacitbacking of the ruling party.
"NIAis questioning him (Vaze) on the conspiracy part. The truth will be out in daysto come," Kadam told adding,"despite Sachin Vaze's arrest, theMaharashtra government has not yet suspended the tainted police officer. Theruling party and Vaze obviously seem hand-in-glove".
The49-year-old encounter specialist has not been arrested for the first time. In2004, he was booked in a controversial custodial murder case in Mumbai. Helater resigned from the police department in 2007 and joined the Shiv Sena.
"Ashis resignation was not accepted, his services were not terminated. When ShivSena returned to power in Mumbai, Sachin Vaze was reinstated in police servicein June 2020. Obviously Vaze was seen as the most powerful officer in the ShivSena led Maha Vikas Aghadi government," revealed a former police officerwho served with Vaze earlier in the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Onceperceived as the hero of the Mumbai Crime Branch, Vaze eliminated more than 63dreaded criminals including gangsters related to Dawood Ibrahim' notoriousD-company. During the mid-1990s, Vaze joined Andheri Crime Intelligence Unit(CIU) led by encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma. Another leading encounterspecialist Daya Nayak was also part of Pradeep Sharma's team. The trio, whofought with underworld gangs on the streets of Mumbai, inspired many filmmakerslike Ram Gopal Verma to script Bollywood hits like "Ab Tak Chappan"and "Company".
Howeverseveral controversial encounters including the mysterious death of KhwajaYounus, named in a bomb blast case, saw the encounter specialists being placedon suspension. Vaze also had a fall from grace, when on orders of the court in2004, a case of murder was registered against him in matter related to death ofan accused in police custody.
Duringthe present Maha Vikas Aghadi rule, Vaze was handling most of the sensitivecases. As the head of the CIU of Mumbai Crime Branch, he investigated the highprofile TRP scam case and arrested 15 accused linked with broadcast and TVrating agencies. Vaze was also part of a police team which arrested Republic TVowner Arnab Goswami in a suicide case. Busting an inter state car scam, Vazealso arrested famous car designer Dilip Chhabria.
WhileVaze will be further questioned and confronted with documentary evidencerelated to the threat case by the NIA during remand which has been extendedtill March 25, the Shiv Sena has said that there was no need of NIA toinvestigate the case relating to recovery of explosives from a SUV parked nearAmbani's house.
ShivSena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that Vaze was a competent and honest officerand there was no need for the NIA to step in the probe.