MUMBAI: A special court in Mumbai hearing cases filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has refused bail to Santosh Shelar, an accused in the 2021 Antilia explosives scare and the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, holding that there is substantial prima facie evidence against him.
On February 25, 2021, an SUV loaded with gelatin sticks was found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, in south Mumbai, triggering a major security scare. Days later, on March 5, businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that the SUV was earlier in his possession before it was allegedly stolen, was found dead in a creek in Thane under suspicious circumstances.
Among those chargesheeted in the case are former Mumbai police officers Sachin Waze and Pradeep Sharma.
Shelar, who has been in custody for over four years, had moved the special NIA court seeking bail, claiming he had been falsely implicated.
Rejecting the plea, Special Judge Chakor Baviskar said the prosecution had placed sufficient material on record at this stage to establish Shelar’s links with the co-accused. The court noted that call data records and digital evidence indicated that Shelar was in contact with Waze and Sharma through mobile phones and messaging applications.
The judge also referred to witness statements alleging that Shelar arranged travel tickets through his daughter to facilitate trips by himself and other accused to Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and even to Nepal and Dubai.
Observing that there was “huge evidence” on record that prima facie connected Shelar to the offences, including the alleged murder of Hiran, the court declined to grant him bail.