A Special NIA court on Thursday sent former “encounter specialist” police officer and Shiv Sena leader Pradeep Sharma and two others to NIA custody till 28 June, in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran. After initiating a search operation, the NIA on Thursday arrested ex-encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma from Lonavla. Sharma, who has done more than 100 encounters, was on the radar of the NIA since long and was questioned twice earlier in the past two months by NIA officials in connection with the case.
It was in the early wee hours on Thursday that the NIA, with CRPF jawans, searched Sharma’s house in Andheri (east) area in Mumbai. During the raid, which lasted for almost four hours between 6.45am and 10.45am, NIA officials seized a printer, a computer, some incriminating documents and a laptop from Pradeep Sharma’s residence. As many as seven to eight personnel from the agency, including superintendent of police Vikram Khalate, were present during the raid. After a few hours of questioning based on statements and technical evidence against Sharma, the NIA placed him under arrest and he was produced in front of the NIA special court. Two more people—Satish alias Tanni bhai alias Vicky Baba, and Manish Soni—have been arrested from Malad in connection with the case. The trio was later produced before a special court that sent them to NIA custody till 28 June.
Sharma was arrested after possible links between him and an individual named Santosh Shelar, who was arrested this week, was established. With Santosh, other person named Anand Jadhav was also arrested and both have been sent to NIA custody till 21 June. There are photographs of Sharma and Shelar together, but these have been dismissed by Sharma claiming Santosh Shelar was a police informant. Sharma also said there are photographs of him with thousands of other people, indicating that pictures with Shelar don’t mean anything. The NIA has said that both the men were involved in the plot to plant the explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in South Mumbai. As per police sources, during their custodial interrogation, Shelar and Jadhav revealed details of Sharma’s involvement in the case. During his interrogation, Shelar has taken the name of two associates, along with Pradeep Sharma. The two associates are linked to the Lakhan Bhaiyya case.
Reacting to this development BJP leader Nitesh Rane tweeted, “How come every one who r either gettin arrested or investigated in the Antilia n Hiren murder case are directly or indirectly related to Shiv Sena? Can’t be a coincidence!! And we still wondering who their godfather is??!! It’s Uddhav Thackeray.”