Mumbai/New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Prime accused of the SUV case, arrested cop Sachin Vaze operated his extortion racket from a sea going through luxurious lodge, situated at Marine Drive in South Mumbai.
CCTV footage of a Land Cruiser, utilized by Vaze reveals that Mumbai’s disgraced police officer was utilizing the lodge through the third week of February, earlier than executing the plot to park an explosive-laden SUV close to Mukesh Ambani’s home, sources in NIA stated.
Vaze’s shut aide Vinayak Shinde, a former cop allegedly concerned in homicide of Mansukh Hiran, proprietor of the SUV, was additionally noticed within the lodge.
The lodge was situated 10 minutes drive from Vaze’s Crime Branch workplace. Reacting on Vaze’s underworld dealings, BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam stated that this big extortion racket being operated by the Crime Branch officer from a well-known lodge was patronised by the highest functionaries of the federal government.
“From the cricket betting syndicates to collection of ‘hafta’ from bars and restaurants, Vaze operated as a boss of organised criminal gang. My information is that in the name of Covid-19 measures, when the government ordered the bars to shut at 11 pm, the motive was to strike a deal with the select bar operators. Those who paid hafta, were allowed to open their bars beyond midnight,” BJP legislator Ram Kadam informed IANS.
A outstanding cricket bookie of Mumbai, Naresh Dhare, booked in Hiran’s homicide was reportedly amassing funds for Vaze from numerous betting syndicates lively in Maharashtra.
“Expensive suites booked by Vaze in such luxury hotels were meant to negotiate deals and organise secret meetings with betting rings and bar operators. Vaze, who led the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Mumbai police sheltered such crime syndicates instead of acting against them,” Kadam revealed.
A former Inspector of Crime Branch, Mumbai beneath whom Vaze had labored stated that the disgraced cop had investigated a number of circumstances of betting and hawala racket beneath him.
“Of late I came to know that Vaze developed his links with the kingpins of betting syndicates operating from the United Arab Emirates and other middle-east countries. He was hand in glove with them (syndicates),” the inspector stated.
NIA officers are in the meantime gathering info on Vaze’s different aides who helped him in procuring gelatin sticks, different devices, together with sim playing cards, and helped in organising funds.
Sources stated that Vaze was paying a good-looking quantity to Shinde, his former subordinate who was sentenced for all times imprisonment in an police encounter case.
After Shinde got here out of jail on parole, Vaze was reportedly utilizing him in amassing extortion associated funds. Some different tainted cops, positioned beneath suspension, had been in contact with Vaze.
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The NIA can be interrogating Vaze until March 25, when his police remand expires. Sources stated that NIA may request the court docket to additional prolong remand of Vaze, as he’s additionally named within the homicide of Mansukh Hiran.
“The cold blooded murder of Mansukh really nails Vaze. Had he not gone to the extent of eliminating his former aide (Mansukh), he could have gotten rid of the SUV case which was a plot aimed at just scaring a business house. However in a bid to conceal his identity in the SUV case, Vaze got his aide killed and in a way he committed the biggest blunder of life,” stated a former police Ipnspector beneath whom Vaze developed abilities of digital surveillance and busted many organised crime gangs.
