Suspended Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the placing of an explosives-laden car outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s home, was discovered to have confiscated his own housing society’s digital video recorder (DVR) while investigating the case under the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU). The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which later arrested him, is investigating whether or not the CCTV video from the DVR was tampered with. It is also probing the possibility that Mr. Vaze took the SUV to his own residential compound.
Mr. Hiran was discovered dead in Mumbra creek on March 5. His wife said that Mr. Vaze borrowed the same car for four months before returning it on February 5. She also suspected the cop of playing a part in her husband’s murder, prompting the NIA to take over the investigation into the threat to Mr. Ambani. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad was investigating the businessman’s death and the theft of his motorcycle.
Mr Vaze was detained on Saturday by the NIA, just days after being transferred from the CIU to the Citizen Facilitation Centre at the Mumbai police headquarters. He was discharged from the military yesterday.
The NIA is now questioning whether Mr Vaze would seize his own residential society’s DVR and CCTV video. This was brought to light after the department paid a visit to the area as part of the investigation. According to sources, the video has now been wiped from the DVR. It is speculated that he did it to destroy all evidence against him after his links to Mr. Hiran were revealed. According to reports, there are also pictures of a PPE-clad man in the CCTV video, who may be Mr. Vaze himself.
