Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted an ad-interim stay on the special court’s September 29 order granting bail to dismissed police officer Sachin Waze in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case.
The High Court passed the order after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenged the special court’s decision to grant Waze bail. A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale posted the NIA’s appeal for hearing on October 7 and issued notice to Waze.
Waze has not yet been released from jail as the formalities required for his release had not been completed.
Bombay High Court Stays September 29 Bail Order
The High Court directed the state authorities to immediately communicate its order to the concerned jail authorities.
The order came after Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, briefly argued that the special court had erred in granting Waze bail.
Earlier in the day, a bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Ashish Chavan recused itself from hearing the NIA’s plea. The matter was subsequently placed before the bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale.
The special court had granted Waze bail on September 29 after considering his prolonged custody and the material placed before it. The court had observed that the material on record was not sufficient to reject his bail plea and that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future.
What Is the Antilia Bomb Scare Case?
The case dates back to February 25, 2021, when an SUV containing explosives was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, in south Mumbai.
Businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had been in possession of the SUV before it was allegedly stolen, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021.
The NIA arrested Sachin Waze on March 13, 2021, and he was subsequently booked in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the death of Hiran. The agency has alleged that Waze was involved in the conspiracy surrounding the explosives-laden SUV and Hiran’s death.
Waze’s Release Remains on Hold
Waze had already been granted bail in a separate corruption case, but his release remained subject to his custody in the Antilia case.
Following the Bombay High Court’s ad-interim stay, Waze will continue to remain in jail for now. The NIA’s challenge to the September 29 bail order is scheduled to come up before the High Court on October 7.