NIA opposes bail pleas of Sachin Waze in Bombay High court

MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed in the Bombay High Court a plea by sacked Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waje, seeking his temporary release from Taloja Jail and placed under house arrest. The agency said that "Waze is a very influential person and if he is released from jail, he may abscond and influence prosecution witnesses".  After this, the Special Mumbai court rejected the bail plea of Sachin Waje.

In an affidavit filed in the High Court on Tuesday, the NIA said that Waje is accused of "serious offences", including being part of a conspiracy to kill businessman Mansukh Hiren and keeping an explosives-laden vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's south Mumbai residence. 

"If the petitioner is allowed to be placed under house arrest, it is quite possible that the accused petitioner may abscond from the jurisdiction of this court and remain his accomplices and is now under security," the agency said in the affidavit. can influence prosecution witnesses. 

The NIA said, "It will not be difficult for the accused petitioner to trace those witnesses even though the fact that their identity and addresses have been kept secret, but the accused petitioner is a very influential person in Mumbai." has filed this affidavit in response to Waje's plea. 

Waje, in his plea, has sought the conversion of judicial custody to (home) detention for post-bypass surgery care. He has requested to be kept under house arrest till complete recovery. 

The NIA, in its affidavit filed in response to the plea, said that after the operation, Vaje's facilities as per the requirement are available at Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai and if needed, he can be taken to the Government JJ ​​Hospital in Mumbai. 

Waje, in his petition, has cited the example of Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, who was granted interim bail by the court in February this year on medical grounds due to ageing and deteriorating health. 

To this, the NIA counter-affidavit said that Waje's case is different from Rao's. Rao has been granted bail on medical grounds while Waje is asking the judicial custody to continue as a form of house arrest. 

A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and SV Kotwal on Tuesday directed Waje's counsel Raunak Naik to produce the post-surgery medical report of his client in the court. 

The High Court also directed the jail authorities to submit the latest medical report of Waje. Now the matter will be heard next month.