SUV bomb scare case: Thackeray kin denies link with Waze

Following allegations that he had links with suspended Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze Chief Minister Uddhav Thackerayrsquos relative Varun Sardesai has threatened to sue the accuser BJP legislator Nitesh Rane for criminal defamation Rane had said the National Investigation Agency NIA which is probing Waze in the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case should question Sardesai as wellNCP state president Jayant PatilRane said on Monday that Waze had threatened people involved in betting to give him huge amounts of protection money or face raids and arrests He said a Shiv Sena leader from western suburbs was also involved and should be probed He claimed that he had Call Detail Records CDR of conversations between Waze and Sardesai who is Yuva Senarsquos secretaryProve charges or else VarunResponding to Rane later in the day Sardesai challenged him to prove the charges or face a criminal defamation case ldquoI chose to respond because the allegations have been made with the purpose of harming my budding political career Rane will be given seven days to apologise for making a baseless charge and then charged for criminal defamationrdquo he saidSardesai said he belongs to a cultured and highly educated family ldquoThe Rane familyrsquos history is wellknown especially the gang they had in the beginning They have been charged with murder extortion and other serious crimes Even Devendra Fadnavis had put Ranersquos criminal activities on record from the opposition benches People donrsquot believe their statementsrdquo he addedlsquoHome Minister to stayrsquoNationalist Congress Partyrsquos state president Jayant Patil said that there was no question of sacking Home Minister Anil Deshmukh because he was not responsible for the developments in Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Wazersquos caseHome Minister Anil Deshmukh File picsldquoThe home minister is not responsible and he has no connection whatsoever with this case He gave the legislature the information he had at the point in timerdquo said Patil after party chief Sharad Pawar reviewed the NCP ministerrsquos performance in a meeting on MondayEarlier during the day Pawar met CM Thackeray giving rise to speculations that changes could be made in the government and police departmentHowever Patil denied any political change but said that officers or other people would face punitive action if they are found guilty in the probe He also insisted that Pawarrsquos meeting with the party ministers wasnrsquot deliberate but a scheduled programme that the party boss conducts every three monthsSachin Waze files prearrest bail pleaPolice officer Sachin Waze filed a prearrest bail application in a court in Thane district on Monday Waze filed the plea under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure CrPC in the Thane district sessions court Under this section a person can seek bail if he or she is apprehending arrest in a case The sessions court posted the plea for hearing on March 19 and directed the investigating officer to file his affidavit in reply Waze is accused by Vimla Hiran wife of involvement in her husband Mansukhrsquos suspicious death