NIA 'recreates' Antilia crime scene with Vaze

Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) early Saturday attempted to 'recreate' the crime scene in which a SUV (Scorpio) with 20 gelatin sticks and a threat note, was parked near Antilia, the home of top industrialist Mukesh Ambani, officials said.

The NIA ferried arrested Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Vaze -- currently in its custody till March 25 -- to the spot and tried to play out the crime scene, as it could have happened, around half a kilometre away from Antilia.

Secured by a large posse of Mumbai Police, the NIA made Vaze 'walk down the road' near Antilia from the spot where the SUV was recovered, to check his gait, movement, timings, etc, to tally with the investigations and evidence collected so far in the case.

This was an important field probe trip for NIA with Vaze who has previously been taken to various other locations in Mumbai and Thane to recreate the entire set of circumstances culminating in the SUV imbroglio on February 25.

The NIA has till date seized around six high-end cars/SUVs, including two Mercedes, a Scorpio, an Innova and a Toyota LandCruiser Prado, which are undergoing special forensic tests by an expert team from Pune.

While some of these vehicles were used by Vaze some were also driven by Thane businessman Mansukh Hiren, who was found dead in the Thane Creek wetlands on March 5.

The development came hours after an NIA team comprising IGP Anil Shukla and SP Vikram Khalate met the new Mumbai Commissioner of Police Hemant Nagrale, Joint CP (Crime) Milind Bharambe and DCP (Crime) Akbar Pathan, at the police commissionerate on Friday.

The NIA is probing the SUV case while the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad is investigating the Hiren death matter.