Ex-cop main conspirator in murder: NIA tells HC

MUMBAI: The NIA on Wednesday claimed before the Bombay High Court that former police officer Pradeep Sharma was the main conspirator in the “cold-blooded murder” of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was considered a weak link in the “larger conspiracy of terrorising” the family of Mukesh Ambani.

Sharma along with other accused in the case attended various meetings inside the compound of the police commissioner’s office building, where the alleged conspiracy was hatched, the NIA said in an affidavit filed in the HC and claimed that dismissed police officer Sachin Waze gave Rs 45 lakh to Sharma for henchmen to kill Hiran.

A division bench of Justices AS Chandurkar and GA Sanap posted the plea for further hearing on July 17.

On February 25, 2021, an explosives-laden SUV was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai. Businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5 last year.

The NIA said Sharma and the other accused in the case committed a heinous and serious offence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

“From the evidence gathered, it is crystal clear that Pradeep Sharma was directly involved in the crime and had committed the offences of conspiracy, terrorist act, being a member of a terrorist gang, kidnapping, murder and destruction of evidence,” the affidavit said.

As per NIA, Hiran was killed after he refused to take the blame for parking the explosives-laden vehicle outside Antilia.

The killing of Hiran was the culmination of a larger conspiracy, it further claimed.

The larger conspiracy in the present case includes parking the explosives-laden vehicle outside Antilia and circulating threat letters in the name of ‘Jaish-ul-Hind’ to terrorise the Ambani family and local people, the NIA said.

The accused killed Hiran and tried to show it as a suicide, it said.

Sharma along with other accused attended various meetings inside the compound of the police commissioner’s office building, where the alleged conspiracy was hatched.

“As the main conspirator, Sharma hired henchmen for killing Mansukh Hiran by offering them a huge amount of money received by him (Sharma) from Waze,” the affidavit said.

After the murder, Sharma directed the co-accused to flee from Mumbai to Nepal to evade arrest, it said.

“There is oral and documentary evidence against Pradeep Sharma which prima facie reveals and fully establishes his role in the murder,” the affidavit claimed.

The NIA said Sharma was an influential cop and was famously known as an encounter specialist, and if released on bail, he would tamper with the evidence and influence witnesses.