New charges invoked by NIA might extend Sachin Waze’s custody

CFSL and NIA officers investigate Waze’s Mercedes car. File pic

Securing bail might now get tougher for suspended API Sachin Waze as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) moved an application before the NIA special court on Wednesday and invoked some sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which might extend his custody by 30 days. These include section 16 (punishment for terrorist act), 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc) of the UAPA.

Meanwhile, the chief judicial magistrate of the Thane sessions court directed Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to not proceed with the investigation in the Mansukh Hiran case and passed an order to transfer the relevant documents and records to NIA.

Additional solicitor general Anil C Singh appeared for the NIA and submitted, "As per the sub-section 5 of Section 6 of NIA Act, 2008, the central government has directed the NIA to take up the investigation of the present ATS crime (the Mansukh Hiran case) as it is connected with the investigation of the scheduled offence."

Contrary to this, the counsel for ATS, APP Supare submitted, "There is yet no direction from the state government to transfer the investigation of the case." She further said, "As per sub-section 7 of Section 6 of NIA Act, the agency has not yet taken up the investigation of the case, so it is the duty of the officer-in-charge of the ATS to continue with the investigation."

"It appears that the investigation of this case is transferred to the NIA by the central government. This fact is communicated to the director general of police by a letter dated March 22. The ATS office has also received a copy of the letter. Thereafter, accordingly, the DGP has communicated about the transfer of this case to the NIA by a letter dated March 23 to the Maharashtra government. All these facts are admitted by the investigating officer of ATS in his say," reads the order copy.

"The record proceedings, case documents, material objects/articles/properties and miscellaneous case papers of ATS is hereby transferred to the NIA special court immediately," further reads the court order passed by CJM PP Ingale. Subsequently, over half a dozen NIA officers reached the ATS office in the evening and took into custody the two accused - suspended cop Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gaur. A jeweller from Zaveri Bazaar, who had paid lakhs of rupees for Waze's stay at Trident is being questioned by the NIA. Sources close to the jeweller told mid-day that he had spent '13 lakh as Waze had assured him of resolving a cheating case.

An officer from LT Marg police station said, "The complainant might have approached Waze in his personal capacity to seek help in resolving the matter." "The jeweller had registered a cheating case at the police station against another jeweller, who duped him of nearly '70-80 lakh. He approached Waze to help him resolve the matter and get the money back. In return, Waze asked him to book a hotel room at Trident for which he paid '13 lakh," said a person close to the jeweller.

An NIA officer said that the jeweller had visited the CP's office to meet Waze just two days before the latter's arrest. The NIA officers got to know about it as an entry had been made in the diary, which the central agency confiscated during a raid at the CIU office. Meanwhile, a close associate of Waze, API Riyazuddin Kazi, who has been given a side posting in the Local Arms (LA) after being removed from the Crime Intelligence Unit, has been made a witness in the case by the NIA.