The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the discharge plea submitted by former Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the Antilia bomb scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren, asserting that he was “directly involved in the commission of the crime”, reported the PTI.

In its detailed 145-page written reply, the agency emphasised that the offences allegedly committed by Waze and his co-accused form part of a wider criminal conspiracy and are “extremely serious” in nature. The NIA rejected all claims made in Waze’s discharge application and urged the court to consider the gravity and seriousness of the charges while adjudicating the matter, the news agency reported.