NIA arrests another cop in Mansukh Hiren murder case

The National Investigating Agency (NIA), probing the Mansukh Hiren murder case, on Friday arrested another Mumbai Police officer in connection with the crime. Mumbai Police Inspector Sunil Mane was arrested on Friday morning and produced before a special NIA court. The court sent him to NIA custody till 28 April.

During the hearing, the central probe agency told the court that it needed Mane’s custody to obtain his devices and call data records to further probe his role in the case.

According to NIA, Mane was at the spot where Hiren was killed. He was the one who had called him up on the night of 4 March as “Tawde” and asked him to meet him outside, the sources in the NIA said.

Mane was taken into NIA custody on Thursday night following which he was questioned through the night and confronted with the confessions made by suspended Mumbai Police API Riyaz Kazi and Sachin Vaze in their statements to the central agency. As per sources, Mane was present at the meeting between Vaze and Kazi at Chakkala and reportedly involved in passing on SIM cards procured from Vaze to other officials who were reportedly involved in the case. As per sources, Mane allegedly pressurised Hiren to take the blame for the Antilia bomb scare.

In the meantime, the other two accused earlier arrested in the case -Vaze and Kazi – were produced in court through video conference. The court extended their judicial custody till 5 May.

Vaze filed two applications. In one he sought medication and in the other, he sought papers, carbon copy, and postal stamps in large quantities. He also sought law books, mattresses and many other things. Advocate Prakash Shetty, who appeared on behalf of the NIA, opposed both the applications, stating that these were available at a stall inside the prison. Vaze and Kazi are lodged at Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai.