Antilla bomb scare: Court rejects NIA’s custody request for Waze
A special NIA court on Monday rejected an application filed by the National Investigation Agency seeking custody of dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze and Sunil Mane once again.
The NIA wanted to interrogate both the police officers once again in connection with the industrialist Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case. The court also allowed Waze to undergo medical treatment at a private hospital for his heart ailment.
The NIA had moved the remand plea before special judge P.R. Sitre requesting the court to remand Waze and Mane, who are in judicial custody, to NIA’s custody as they wanted to once again interrogate them. Earlier, Waze was in the NIA custody
for 28 days and Mane for 15 days.
The agency had stated that the probe, in this case, is in its final phase. It had further stated that after the arrest of former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and four others, the agency suspected that some more persons had played a key role in the two cases and interrogating the duo further would help in further investigation.
Lawyers representing
Waze Mane opposed the plea stating that the NIA has not given any new ground to seek their custody. The NIA is expected to file its chargesheet in the case this week.
After hearing arguments, the NIA judge rejected NIA’s plea seeking their custody.
Waze’s lawyer also argued that he is facing a serious health issue as three of his arteries have 90 per cent blockage and doctors have advised immediate surgery.
During the hearing, Waze requested the court to permit him to seek private medical treatment saying he did not wish to die in custody like tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest Stan Swamy. Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, died on July 5, while awaiting bail on health grounds.