Vaze, Hiren seen meeting on the day Scorpio was 'stolen'
CCTV footage showed that suspended police officer Sachin Vaze and businessman Mansukh Hiren had met the day a Scorpio in Hiren's possession was stolen, and Vaze later tried to destroy evidence against him, investigators claimed on Friday. According to NIA, Vaze, suspected to have played a role in parking the SUV near Ambani's house, had used fake vehicle registration plates to conceal his movements.
'Vaze tried to destroy number plates, tampered with CCTV footage'
"Later Vaze tried to destroy the plates by dumping them in creeks, but during the probe, two number plates were recovered," said an NIA official. "Further, he tried to tamper with CCTV footage at the housing society in Thane where he lived and at some other places by obtaining Digital Video Recording to conceal his movements while committing the crime," the official added.
Same SUV was found with explosives near Mukesh Ambani's house
It must be noted that the same Scorpio was found with explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house on February 25 and Vaze is at the center of the probe being carried out by the National Investigation Agency in the matter.
CCTV footage showed Vaze and Hiren sitting in a car
As per an official of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, which is probing Hiren's suspicious death, CCTV footage near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in South Mumbai showed Hiren and Vaze sitting in a Mercedes car for about 10 minutes on February 17. "The NIA later seized this same Mercedes after arresting Vaze," the official said.
Hiren had claimed that SUV went missing from Mulund-Airoli road
Hiren had claimed that on February 17 while he was heading for South Mumbai from his house in Thane, the steering of the Scorpio jammed, so he left it on Mulund-Airoli road and proceeded in a cab and next day found the SUV missing.
Hiren was found dead on March 5
The ATS suspects that Hiren handed over the keys of Scorpio to Vaze. On February 25, the Scorpio was found parked near Ambani's residence Antilia with gelatin sticks and a threat letter. Hiren was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5. His family alleged that Vaze had a role in his death. Vaze was arrested by the NIA on March 13.
Vaze will remain in NIA's custody till March 25
The NIA has also questioned several officials of the Crime Intelligence Unit of city police to which Vaze was attached and seized a total of five high-end vehicles including two Mercedes cars. A special NIA court in the city on Friday rejected Vaze's lawyer's plea to meet him privately while he remains in the NIA's custody till March 25.
