The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday opposed “encounter specialist” Pradeep Sharma’s bail in the murder of automobile parts dealer Mansukh Hiren, who was linked to a car with explosives found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani house.
The Central agency filed an affidavit before the Bombay High Court and said: “Mr. Sharma [in jail] is not innocent, he has committed several offences of criminal conspiracy, murder and was the main conspirator in the cold blooded murder of Mr Hiren.”
According to the NIA, Mr. Sharma was given ₹45 lakh by the dismissed police officer and co-accused in the case, Sachin Vaze (currently in jail), to kill Hiren. Mr. Sharma was arrested on June 17, 2021 after searches were conducted at his residence and he was questioned for hours. He has been charged with criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence in the case and filed for bail before the High Court after a special NIA court rejected his plea in February 2022.
The NIA’s affidavit states: “Pradeep Sharma was an active member of a gang that had conspired to terrorise people, including the Ambani family, and murdered Hiren as he was a weak link in the conspiracy. There is sufficient oral and documentary evidence against Pradeep Sharma which prima facie reveals and fully establishes his role in the murder of Hiren. From the evidence gathered, it is crystal clear that Pradeep Sharma was directly involved in the crime and had committed the offences of conspiracy, terrorist act, being member of a terrorist gang, kidnapping, murder and destruction of evidence. He willingly and intentionally entered into a well organised criminal conspiracy for the execution of the cold-blooded murder of Hiren, which was a direct outcome of the terrorist act committed by Mr Vaze and others.”
A Division Bench of Justices A. S. Chandurkar and G. A. Sanap will hear the matter on July 17.
