NEW DELHI: An SUV found abandoned near billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani‘s residence last month has triggered a murky chain of events involving the Mumbai police and the Maharashtra government.
From the mysterious death of SUV owner Mansukh Hiran to the arrest of Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze to the transfer of police chief Param Bir Singh, there have been a series of twists and turns in the case.
Here is a timeline of how things unfolded:
February 25: A security officer at Mukesh Ambani’s residence finds an abandoned Scorpio car and informs police about the same. Along with the police the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and the Crime Branch’s Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) reach the spot. Maharashtra ATS also reaches the spot. Cops recover twenty packets of industrial explosive, gelatin, from the Scorpio along with a threat letter addressed to the Ambanis. Owner of Scorpio tracked. Car owned by Mansukh Hiran.
Feb 26, 27 and 28: A Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) team led by Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze joins the probe. Hiran’s wife Vimla later reveals Vaze recorded her husband’s statement over three days.
March 4: Mansukh Hiran goes missing.
March 5: Hiran’s body is found in the Mumbra creek, Retibunder, Thane in the morning. Hiran’s death and the recovery of the explosives-laden Scorpio is handed over to the ATS by the Maharashtra Home Department.
March 8: National Investigation Agency takes over the case related to the recovery of the explosives-laden Scorpio. Investigation into Hiran’s death remains with the ATS.
March 13: NIA grills Vaze for around ten hours at its south Mumbai office and then takes him into custody.
March 14: NIA Court remands Vaze in NIA’s custody till March 25.
March 15: Sachin Waze suspended by Maharashtra government.
March 17: Maharashtra government transfers Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh as DG home guards
March 18: Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh says Singh was shunted out due to “serious and unforgivable mistakes” by his colleagues
March 20: Param Bir Singh writes letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, saying that Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh asked police officers to collect bribes worth at least Rs 100 crore each month