Former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma was the puppeteer, says NIA

Over three months after a Scorpio laden with explosive material was found outside Mukesh Ambanirsquos residence and businessman Mansukh Hiran was murdered the National Investigation Agency NIA arrested former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and his two aides on Thursday The agency said that it had suspected Sharma of being involved in the case since the beginning and that now it has concrete evidence against himSharma was arrested from his Lonavala farmhouse At the court he claimed that he has been framed by a lobby in Mumbai police that is working against him Sharma said that he wouldnrsquot have been sleeping at home had he done something wrong The motive behind the Antilia episode however remains unclearPradeep Sharma with coaccused Santosh Shelar his longtime informantSharma Waze instructed NIAThe two others arrested have been identified as Manish Basant Soni and Satish Motekari alias Tanni alias Vicky Baba According to NIA the duo allegedly smothered Hiran in the Tavera car along with coaccused Santosh Shelar and Anand Jadhav on March 4 The NIA told the court that everything including planting the SUV near Antilia and Hiranrsquos murder happened on Sharma and dismissed cop Sachin Wazersquos instructions ldquoSatish and Manish admitted killing Hiran for the larger conspiracy on the instructions of Waze and Sharmardquo NIA public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves said The court questioned the NIA on why it did not arrest Sharma earlier when his role surfaced to which Gonsalves said ldquoHe is a police officer and they are very tough nuts to crack He misled us We initially had strong suspicions on him but now we have concrete evidencerdquoThe evidence against Sharma is in the form of digital material and documents The NIA said that Shelar and Jadhav admitted their roles took Sharmarsquos name and showed the spot where Hiran was killed and his body was disposed ofDismissed cop Sachin WazeAfter picking up Hiran near Ghodbunder road on March 4 Waze and coaccused Sunil Mane took him near a lodge and stayed in the car for 26 minutes before handing over him to Shelar and the others Waze returned to Mumbai on the train and conducted a fake raid at a bar in South Mumbai Mane drove towards Virar and dumped Hiranrsquos belongings and mobile phone at an unknown location He also allegedly switched on the phone near Tungareshwar and Mandavi in Vasai to mislead investigatorsldquoAfter killing Hiran the group informed Waze and Sharma We have evidence to prove thatrdquo Gonsalves saidDNA found inside TaveraThe NIA claims to have found crucial DNA in the Tavera Reports from the forensic science laboratory in Pune are awaited NIA has also recovered a huge amount in cash from the accused which it suspects was payment made by Waze and Sharma for the murder and hatching the conspiracy ldquoWe have conducted searches at Sharmarsquos residence and seized various documents We have also found arms and ammunition with expired licences from his residencerdquo Gonsalves told the courtThe court remanded the three arrested accused to NIA custody till June 28During the hearing the NIA requested the court to not to allow journalists as the matter is sensitive but the court refused to do soManish Basant Soni and right Satish Motekari alias Tanni alias Vicky Baba were also arrested on Thursday PicSuresh KarkeralsquoLobby against mersquoSharma told the court that the arms found at his residence were given to him by a police commissioner in 1997 and that he has not received a renewed licence for it yet ldquoI never had communication with Waze Had I been involved in wrongdoing I would not have been sleeping at home after the arrest of so many people There are groups in Mumbai police and one lobby is conspiring against me I run an NGO and I am a politician because of which many people take pictures with me Just because Shelar has a picture with me does not mean I am involved I know him because he used to be my informantrdquo Sharma said in courtAfter Sharmarsquos statements the court asked to see the NIArsquos case diary to understand the evidence against him The details of the diary were not revealedSo far the agency has arrested 10 people including Sharma On Thursday the NIA raided Sharmarsquos Andheri residence and his NGO Pradeep Sharma foundation The raids lasted for over 12 hoursThe NIA raided Pradeep Sharmarsquos residence and his NGOrsquos office for over 12 hours on Thursday PicSameer MarkandeWhy is Sharma a suspectDuring the initial probe the NIA found evidence of meetings between Waze Mane other accused and Sharma An important meet also allegedly took place in the complex of Commissioner of Police office near Crawford Market when Param Bir Singh was the police chief The NIA recorded Singhrsquos statement to get clarity on certain points The agency suspected Sharma after the arrest of Vinayak Shinde a convict in the Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case in which Sharma was acquitted Sharma is also Wazersquos mentor A crucial link found by the Maharashtra ATS and submitted to NIA was the last location of the mobile allegedly used by Mane to call Hiran via WhatsApp on March 4 The same number was found to be active last in Andheri near Sharmarsquos residence His arrest came after Shelar spilt the beans and Jadhav pointed to his involvement The NIA is also probing the role of other officers one of whom is a senior officer in the Maharashtra policeWhat is the motiveThe NIA had initially claimed that Waze wanted to be a super cop by cracking the case and becoming famous He also allegedly planned a fake encounter near Antilia after planting the Scorpio but failed and eliminated Hiran who could have become an important witness With the arrest of Sharma who is associated with the Shiv Sena the question that arises is if the motive indeed was Waze wanting to be a super cop what was Sharmarsquos motive in the caseTwoNo of other people arrested on Thursday24Day in February the Scorpio was planted outside AntiliaWho are the arrested and their rolesSachin Waze exAPI Mumbai Crime Branch held on March 13 Allegedly planned conspiracy with Pradeep Sharma and others planted SUV laden with explosive material outside Antilia on February 24 used police vehicles in the crime Planned Mansukh Hiranrsquos murder and destroyed evidenceRiyazuddin Qazi exAPI Mumbai Crime Branch held on April 11 Associated with Waze at Crime Intelligence Unit CIU Wazersquos trusted aide dumped hard disks DVR and laptop in Mithi riverSunil Mane exPI Mumbai Crime Branch held on April 25 Was in charge of Crime Branchrsquos Unit XI during conspiracy Attended various conspiracy meetings with Waze helped plant the Scorpio called Hiran on March 4 posing as Tawade and later picked him up in his car along with Waze handed him to Shelar near a lodge in Ghodbunder NIA claims to have seen CCTV footage where he is seenVinayak Shinde exconstable held on March 21 by Maharashtra ATS Convicted in Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case out on parole due to the pandemic Was in touch with Waze attended several meetingsNaresh Gore cricket bookie held on March 21 by Maharashtra ATS Provided SIM cards used in the crime to WazeSantosh Shelar police informer held on June 11 Sharmarsquos informer closely associated with him for many years Mane handed Hiran over to him near Ghodbunder Road dumped Hiranrsquos body in the creek owns the Tavera car and was present in it when Hiran was smothered using a handkerchief Has a criminal record His name came up with relation to disappearance of evidence in a high profile case but nothing was found against himAnand Jadhav was held on June 14 Allegedly known to Sharma was present in the Tavera during Hiranrsquos murder helped dump his body was allegedly known to Shelar and brought in for the job on Sharmarsquos instructionsManish Basant Soni held on June 17 Present inside the Tavera car helped dump his body Was the first to spill the beans on Sharma to NIASatish Motekari alias Tanni alias Vicky Baba held on June 17 Was present in the Tavera helped dump Hiranrsquos bodyPradeep Sharma former encounter specialist held on June 17 According to NIA he is the main conspirator along with Waze He gave instructions to other accused in both cases right from the planting of the Scorpio to killing Hiran Allegedly paid huge amounts in cash to those recruited in the case and to witnesses His role is also suspected in procuring the gelatin found in the car