Antilia bomb scare: Court rejects dismissed cop Riyazuddin Kazi’s bail plea

Mumbai: A special court here on Tuesday denied bail to dismissed police officer Riyazuddin Kazi, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last year for alleged role in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiran murder cases.

Special judge for NIA cases A T Wankhede denied relief to Kazi. The detailed order was awaited.

Kazi, who worked closely with prime accused Sachin Waze, was posted with the Crime Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Crime Branch when a Scorpio car with gelatin sticks inside was found near `Antilia’, the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani. His alleged role came to light after Waze, then assistant police inspector, was arrested on March 13, 2021.

Advocates Yug Chaudhary and Hasnain Kazi, appearing for Riyazuddin, argued that he was accused of conspiring to destroy evidence, which is a bailable offense, and not for murder or an offense under the stringent Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act.

The prosecution failed to prove that the material which Sachin Waze allegedly destroyed had been used in the crime, the lawyers said.

They also said that Kazi maintained a record of his actions in the station diary, and he would not have done so and created evidence against himself, if he had been a conspirator.

Whatever Riyazuddin Kazi did was in his official capacity, the lawyers argued.

Besides Kazi and Waze, other accused in the case include former encounter specialist officer Pradip Sharma and former policemen Vinayak Shinde and Sunil Mane.

An explosives-laden SUV was found near Ambani’s house on February 25, 2021. Hiran, who had claimed he was in possession of the SUV before it was stolen, was found dead in a creek in Thane some days later on March 5.