NIA court rejects Sunil Mane’s discharge plea

MUMBAI: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday rejected the discharge plea filed by dismissed Mumbai police officer – Sunil Mane – arrested in connection with the Antilia explosives scare and to the murder of a trader – Mansukh Hiran.

Mane claimed that he was just asked to transport Hiran for his safe custody after a probe of the Antilia explosives scare case was transferred to the NIA and that he was not aware of any further plan to murder him.

The prosecution, however, argued that there was enough evidence in terms of statements of witnesses to show Mane’s involvement in the murder.

Mane was arrested by the NIA on April 23, 2021. As per the prosecution case, on the evening of March 4, Mane called Hiran, using a SIM card provided by cricket bookie Naresh Gaur based on bogus documents, pretending to be a police officer from Malad.

The prime accused in the case, dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze, according to the charge sheet, had already convinced Hiran to escape to a “safe place” to evade arrest. Hiran readily agreed to the plan.

Mane allegedly picked up Hiran and handed him over to four men – Santosh Shelar, Manish Soni, Satish Mothukari and Anand Jadhav. They allegedly smothered Hiran in the vehicle and dumped the body in a creek near Mumbra.