Antilia bomb scare: Bombay HC bench refuses to hear NIA appeal against ex-cop Sachin Waze | Today’s news

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) A division bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday declined to hear an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging a special court order granting bail to dismissed police officer Sachin Waze in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case.

Justices Bharati Dangre and Ashish Chavan said that both were facing difficulties in hearing the appeal and therefore declared that the matter would be referred to another court.

“Earlier, in another petition filed by this person (Waze), I refused because there was some connection then. So it would not be proper for me to hear this appeal,” Justice Dangre said.

Justice Chavan also refused and said he could not hear the matter.

The court asked whether Waze had left jail, to which Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh replied in the negative.

On Tuesday, shortly after a special NIA court granted bail to Waze, the agency moved the HC and mentioned the appeal before a bench headed by Justice Sarang Kotwal.

However, the jury recused itself, after which the appeal was filed before a court headed by Justice Dangre on Wednesday.

Singh, appearing for the NIA, said the agency will now have to approach the HC chief justice, who will then assign the appeal to another department of the division for hearing.

On February 25, 2021, an SUV with explosives inside was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in South Mumbai.

Businessman Mansukh Hiran, who owned the SUV before it was allegedly stolen, was found dead in a stream in neighboring Thane on March 5, 2021.

Waze was arrested by the NIA on 13 March 2021. He was subsequently charged in a corruption case which is being investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.

Waze has already been granted bail in a corruption case.