The National Investigation Agency arrested former Mumbai Police officer Pradeep Sharma on Thursday in connection with the investigation into the bomb threat outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in February reported ANI. Sharma, along with two others, were produced before a Special NIA court, which sent them to the central agency’s custody till June 28.
On Thursday morning, the NIA conducted raids at Sharma’s house in Mumbai. The central agency officials seized a printer, a computer and a laptop from the house, reported the Hindustan Times. Earlier, the NIA had interrogated Sharma for two days at its Mumbai office.
On February 25, twenty gelatin sticks were recovered from a black Scorpio found less than two kilometres from Ambani’s multi-storey home Antilia. The police had said that the gelatin recovered from the car was the commercial type that is used in mining and construction. On March 5, Mansukh Hiren, the reported owner of the vehicle, was found dead in a creek in Mumbai.
Besides Sharma, the central agency has so far arrested former police officers Sachin Vaze, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, exconstable Vinayak Shinde, cricket bookie Naresh, for their alleged involvement in the case.
Santosh Shelar and Anand Jadhav, who were sent to police custody along with Sharma, were arrested from Malad’s Kurar village on June 11, according to the Mumbai Police. The duo is reportedly close to Sharma. NIA officials have said that both of the accused were involved in the conspiracy to plant the explosive-laden SUV near Ambani’s residence, reported The Indian Express.
Sharma is a Shiv Sena leader and is known to be a Mumbai Police’s “encounter specialist”. He is also believed to be the mentor of Vaze. The NIA had arrested Vaze for his alleged links with Hiren on March 13 after it took over the case from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad. The Mumbai Police suspended Vaze on March 15.
On April 12, the agency arrested Kazi, who is an assistant police inspector and an associate of Vaze. Kazi was suspended a day after his arrest. The NIA claimed that Kazi helped Vaze acquire fake number plates used for the vehicle that was found outside the Ambani residence. Kazi has also been accused of helping Vaze get rid of evidence linking him to the case.
The NIA arrested Mane on April 23.
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