Antilia explosives scare case: Dismissed cop Sunil Mane offers to turn approver

try. But unfortunately, and unknowingly I have committed some mistakes,” Mane said in his hand-written plea filed on Thursday.

“To repent these mistakes and to give justice to the victim (Hiran) and his family, I have decided to make a full and truthful disclosure of the whole circumstances and facts of the case,” he said, requesting the court to take his outstanding service record into consideration and give him “a chance to repent his mistakes by tendering pardon” under section 307 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The plea further said that in his 26 years’ “outstanding” service, Mane had earned several accolades and around 280 awards and rewards. The application was made voluntarily and even his advocate on record should not be allowed to withdraw it without his written consent, it added.

Mane was arrested by NIA on April 23, 2021, for his alleged role in the murder of Hiran, a car accessories shop owner from Thane.

On February 25, 2021, a Mahindra Scorpio was found abandoned outside Antilia - the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani with 20 gelatine sticks kept in a backpack and a note threatening the members of the Ambani family. On March 5, the body of the vehicle owner, Hiran, was found dumped in the creek near Mumbra.

According to NIA, dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze had planted the explosives-laden vehicle. The agency claimed that Waze, who knew Hiran long before the incident, and others tried to persuade the trader to take the blame for planting the explosives and assured him that he would come out on bail soon after his arrest. They, however, decided to kill him after he refused to take the blame, it said.

Waze allegedly paid a huge amount of money to former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma to get Hiran killed, NIA claimed, adding that accordingly, Sharma hired four people, who smothered the Thane resi- dent to death in a four-wheeler.

Mane, according to NIA, was part of the conspiracy hatched by Waze and is accused of call- ing Hiran on his phone, posing as some other police officer, and asking him to meet him on Ghodbundar Road. Mane alleg- edly handed him over to the four killers, the agency said. Three separate FIRs were regis- tered in connection with the alleged theft of the SUV, plant- ing of the explosives-laden vehi- cle, and the murder of its owner.