Mumbai, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Bombay High Court has questioned the lifestyle of former Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, particularly his use of high-end vehicles and an extended stay at a luxury hotel, while hearing the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) appeal against the bail granted to him in the 2021 Antilia bomb-scare and Mansukh Hiran murder cases.
A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale flagged Vaze’s use of expensive vehicles and his approximately 100-day stay in a room booked at the Oberoi hotel in South Mumbai.
The court sought to know how an Assistant Police Inspector, whose monthly salary was around Rs 90,000 at the time, could afford such an expensive lifestyle.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, referred to witness statements alleging that Vaze used luxury vehicles while serving as an Assistant Police Inspector.
One witness statement cited by the NIA said Vaze travelled in a black Mercedes and asked people accompanying him to switch off their mobile phones. The court asked whether the Mercedes belonged to Vaze and whether it was registered in his name. The NIA replied in the affirmative.
The bench also sought details of other vehicles used by Vaze and examined a list of five vehicles linked to him during his tenure as an Assistant Police Inspector. The list included a white BMW, black Volvo, white Mercedes, white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and another black Mercedes.
The court also noted the NIA’s submission that Vaze travelled in a high-end Mercedes to the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office and the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s official residence, ‘Varsha’.
According to the NIA, the vehicles and Vaze’s lifestyle are being examined in connection with alleged extortion in the case. The agency has also opposed his bail on the ground that he could tamper with witnesses or destroy evidence.
The High Court is hearing the NIA’s challenge to a September 29 order of the special court granting bail to Vaze with stringent conditions. The High Court had last week stayed the bail order on an interim basis, resulting in Vaze continuing to remain in judicial custody.
Vaze has been in custody for more than five years. The High Court also questioned the NIA on the grounds for opposing bail despite the prolonged custody.
Singh argued that Vaze had previously faced charges in a fake encounter case and alleged that, despite being a police officer responsible for protecting the public, he had engaged in criminal activities and was involved in the murder of a person.
The Antilia case relates to the recovery of an SUV laden with explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai residence in February 2021. The matter is also linked to the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.
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