Antilia bomb scare case: Court grants first bail to bookie Naresh Gaur, then stays order after NIA objects

A special NIA court here on Saturday granted bail to Naresh Gaur, a cricket bookie, arrested for his alleged role in the Antilia bomb scare and businessman Mansukh Hiran murder case but stayed the order after the prosecution prayed that they wanted to challenge it before a higher court. Gaur was the first accused in the case, in which dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze is the prime accused, to be granted bail.

The court stayed the bail order for 25 days after the prosecution requested that they wanted to challenge it before a higher court. Gaur’s bail plea was allowed by special judge A T Wankhede. The NIA, citing a Bombay High Court order, submitted that the special court has powers to stay its order. The defence strongly opposed the application and submitted that there is no such provision.

However, the special judge ruled that this (special NIA) court can exercise the power to stay its order for a few days under relevant provisions of the CrPC.

Considering the request of the NIA and that the probe agency wants to assail the order of this court, Gaur’s bail order passed has to be stayed for further 25 days, the court said.

Gaur, in his plea filed through advocate Aniket Nikam, had said procuring SIM cards for Sachin Waze was the only role attributed to him. In the plea, he claimed to be ”innocent” and alleged that he was ”falsely implicated” in the case.

He claimed that he has no connection with the crime in question.

”Merely based on surmises and conjectures, the applicant has been roped in as an accused in the present crime,” the plea added.

Gaur further stated that there is no iota of evidence to show his involvement in the murder of Mansukh Hiran and that he had never met the deceased or contacted him ever.

An explosives-laden SUV was found near ‘Antilia’, the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, on February 25 this year. Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that he was in the possession of the vehicle, was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.