The Shiv Sena on Friday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre for handing over the investigation into the explosive-laden car found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence to the National Investigation Agency, ANI reported.
In an editorial its mouthpiece Saamna, the Shiv Sena said that the central agency is supposed to investigate matters related to terrorism. “But despite not having any link to terrorism, the agency has been handed over the case,” it said. “What is the matter? What probe did the NIA do in the Uri attack, the Pathankot attack, and the Pulwama attack? How many criminals have been arrested? This too is a mystery. But 20 gelatin sticks in Mumbai seems to prove to be a big challenge for NIA.”
The editorial also spoke in favour of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who was transferred on Wednesday to the Home Guard. “The government has to do the rejig in police under certain specific circumstances,” it read. “Param Bir Singh was replaced in the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner, which doesn’t mean he is guilty. He took the command of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner during very difficult times. He had instilled a passion in the police to fight the Covid-19 crisis. He himself went to an area like Dharavi.”
The party claimed that a “lobby in Delhi” has grudges against him because of his investigation into the alleged Television Rating Points scam and death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. “He did not let the morale of the police go down,” the editorial said. “TRP scam files were opened during his time.”
On February 25, a Scorpio SUV with the gelatin sticks was found abandoned at Carmichael road, which is close to Ambani’s residence. It also had a note threatening the industrialist and his wife Nita Ambani. The car belonged to auto parts dealer Mansukh Hiren, who had filed a stolen report with the police on February 17. Hiren was found dead in a creek near Mumbai on March 5.
Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, who was the first police officer investigating the case, has been arrested by the NIA based on suspicion that he played a role in parking the car near Ambani’s home. Hiren’s wife alleged that Vaze had used the car for four months and accused him of having a role in her husband’s death.
In the editorial, Shiv Sena said everyone is sad about the suspicious death of Hiren. But it said the BJP seems to have “suffered a bit too much” as it knows where to invest its effort. It claimed the saffron party was hyping up the case to reduce the morale of the Mumbai Police.
The Sena also pointed out to its ally-turned-rival that one of its MPs, Ram Swaroop Sharma, had died under suspicious circumstances in his Delhi residence. “Sharma was a strong Hindutva proponent,” he said. “BJP people are not seen beating his chest about his suspicious death.”
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