The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has arrested Maharashtra Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, the investigating officer in the Ambani bomb scare case.

The NIA arrested Sachin Vaze in the Ambani bomb scare case, of which he was the investigating officer, late on Saturday night.

“Sachin Waze was arrested under the case RC/1/2021/NIA/MUM (relating to the seizure of explosives-laden SUV found parked near Mukesh Ambani’s residence) at 2350 hrs,” an NIA statement said.

Sachin Vaze was arrested by the NIA for allegedly placing an explosives-laden vehicle near the residence of Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani last month.

Sachin Vaze was arrested late on Saturday night after over 12 hours of questioning at the NIA’s office in Mumbai.

Other officials of the Mumbai Police’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), which was till last week headed by Vaze, too, have been called in by the NIA for questioning in relation with the case.

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Meanwhile, following the arrest of Sachin Vaze, political mudslinging seems to have begun between the BJP Government in the Centre and the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Government.

Vocal Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has backed Sachin Vaze saying that there was no need for the NIA to get itself involved in the investigation of the case.

“I believe Sachin Waze is a very honest and capable officer. He has been arrested in connection with gelatine sticks that were recovered. It is Mumbai Police’s responsibility to investigate the matter. No central team was needed,” news agency ANI quoted Sanjay Raut.

He said that repeated interference by Central agencies demoralises the Mumbai police and “creates instability”.

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Meanwhile, investigators reportedly have found no terror angle in the Ambani bomb scare case and have said that the Telegram message of Jaish-ul-Hind was a fabricated one to divert attention.

The Mumbai Police’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), which is probing the death of Mansukh Hiran, whose Scorpio car was found outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, stuffed with gelatin sticks, has informed NIA that the Innova car that was used to escape from the spot may belong to Mumbai Police.

After Sachin Vaze’s arrest, more arrests are likely to happen in the Ambani bomb scare case. NIA is conducting more searches in the bomb scare case and more police officials are likely to be questioned.

The Ambani bomb scare case was handed over to the NIA after the mysterious death of a Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that the vehicle had been stolen a week earlier.

His body was found in a creek at Thane on March 5.

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