Antilia Bomb Scare: Bombay High Court Dismisses Pradeep Sharma’s Bail Application

The Bombay High Court on Monday denied bail to accused Pradeep Sharma’s bail in the “Antilia” bomb scare case.

Pradeep Sharma was arrested in June 2021 in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and for the killing of businessman Mansukh Hiren. The bail petition of Pradeep Sharma was challenged by National Investigation Agency (NIA).

While opposing the bail application of Shiv Sena leader and former Mumbai Police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma in May 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stated in the Court that he was paid Rs 45 lakhs by suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze to kill businessman Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the explosive-laden vehicle discovered outside Antilia.

In its affidavit to the Bombay High Court in May 2022, the investigating agency called Pradeep Sharma the “main conspirator” in the ‘cold-blooded murder’ of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren whose green Mahindra Scorpio SUV was found with the note and gelatin sticks.

“On March 3, 2021, accused Sachin Waze met accused Pradeep Sharma in the evening at the Police Station Foundation office in Andheri (East), Mumbai, and handed over a rexine bag containing a large amount of cash. Following that, accused Pradeep Sharma called accused Santosh Shelar to find out the registration number of the vehicle he had arranged. Accused Santosh Shelar relayed the information to accused Sachin Waze,” NIA stated in the charge sheet.

The charge sheet also revealed that, upon learning that the investigation into the February 25 planting of an explosive-laden SUV on Carmichael Road in South Mumbai, near the home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, was being transferred to a senior police officer, Waze pressured Hiren to accept responsibility for the crime, so that the investigation could be tainted in his favour. According to the chargesheet, Hiran rejected the proposal.

In March 2021, the NIA arrested Sachin Waze in connection with an investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai.