Antilia Case Retired Acp Seeks Fresh Probe Into Param Bir S Alleged Role

MUMBAI: A retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP) has approached the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, seeking to intervene in the Antilia terror scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case and seeking further investigation into the alleged roles of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and cyber expert Ishaan Devesh Sinha.

The application, filed on August 25 by Bhimrao Rohidas Ghadge through advocate Bhushan Bendre, came up for its first hearing on Tuesday. The court has posted the matter for further hearing on September 4, when Singh's lawyer, advocate Anukul B Seth, is expected to file a reply.

Ghadge, a retired ACP who has served in the ATS and Anti-Corruption Bureau, had on July 4 submitted a representation to the NIA’s Mumbai unit, seeking to make Singh an accused in the case. His application states that he was falsely implicated in five offences between 2015 and 2016 when Singh was Thane police commissioner, and was arrested and suspended before being discharged in all the cases. Ghadge says this history left him “well aware” of Singh’s criminal intentions and mindset”.

Sinha said that Singh nevertheless asked him to prepare a report. He later told investigators that his original report which was “very short” (one paragraph) did not contain the Antilia threat poster, but Singh asked him to insert it. Sinha said he modified the report and emailed it to Singh’s official email ID. He said Singh then insisted on paying him and directed his personal assistant to pay him ₹5 lakh in cash for the work.

Investigators later concluded the digital claim was a fabricated attempt to mislead the probe and add a false terror angle. Ghadge has alleged that the NIA failed to adequately investigate Singh’s role despite Sinha’s statement being on record.

Separately, dismissed cop Sachin Waze, the prime accused in the case, on Tuesday challenged the NIA probe as unauthorised for want of prior Centre approval, and questioned discrepancies in its witness lists and its decision to reserve recording statements of alleged victims Mukesh and Neeta Ambani, and sought the station diary before the first witness deposed.

The case pertains to an SUV containing 20 gelatin sticks and a threat note near the Ambani residence Antilia on February 25, 2021. The vehicle belonged to businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had reported it stolen. Hiran was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5. The NIA alleges that the bomb scare and Hiran’s subsequent killing were part of a conspiracy involving the accused.