Mumbai, Oct 22, 2024
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to dismissed police officer, Sachin Vaze, over three-and-half years after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in several cases pertaining to corruption and money-laundering, the sensational ‘Antilia terror scare’, and the murder of a businessman Mansukh Hiren.
A division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice Jitendra Jain said that Vaze would be released subject to the terms and conditions that would be imposed by a Special Court in Mumbai.
The judges made it clear that the bail was only in the context of a special case pertaining to corruption, and there is no question of (Vaze) seeking release in any of the other cases in which he is wanted.
Vaze, nabbed for his involvement in high-profile cases including corruption – in which former Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh was also arrested – later turned ‘approver’ in June 2022, before a Special CBI Court.
However, he is likely to remain at the Taloja Central Jail (Raigad) as he is in judicial custody in the Antilia bomb-scare case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
In May 2024, the sacked cop moved the high court seeking release on grounds that all other accused in the case — including ex-minister Deshmukh, Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde — have been enlarged on bail while he (Vaze) remain in custody though he had become an ‘approver’.
Among other things, Vaze, who was suspended nearly two decades ago in a custodial death case, alleged that Deshmukh had demanded hush money to facilitate his reinstatement in the police force on June 6, 2020, and also attempted extortion of Mumbai hoteliers.
The CBI which probed the matter since April 2021, had booked Deshmukh for alleged graft in matters of transfers/postings of senior police officers in the state.
Vaze was represented by a team of lawyers, including Senior Advocate Aabad Ponde, while the Additional Solicitor-General Raja Thakare appeared on behalf of the CBI.(Agency)
