Ambani bomb scare case: CCTV footage shows SUV owner met arrested cop Sachin Vaze

Sachin Vaze, a controversial officer who was initially in charge of the investigation, has already been arrested in the case.

According to reports, Hiran had left his Scorpio car on the Vikhroli Highway on Feb 17. 

A CCTV footage of the same evening, around 8.25 pm, from the Fort area shows the businessman crossing a road and getting into a black Mercedes waiting at the signal with its hazard lights on.

According to investigators, Vaze was driving the Mercedes and suspect that this was the meeting during which Hiran handed over the keys of the Scorpio to him.

Hiran had claimed that he had parked his Scorpio on the highway in the Vikhroli area of central Mumbai and hired a taxi to reach Crawford Market in south Mumbai. The next day, he realised that his SUV was stolen.

His statement was recorded by Vaze only while he was heading the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU). But his meeting with Vaze was not recorded at that time.

A week later-March 4, the Scorpio was found abandoned and laden with explosives on Carmichael Road, around 1.4 km from Antilia, Mukesh Ambani's 27-storey home in south Mumbai.

A bomb disposal squad found 20 gelatin sticks in it, and a threat letter addressed to the Reliance chairman and Nita Ambani.

Hiran, 45, who was also an auto parts dealer and the owner of the abandoned vehicle, went missing on the night of March 4 and his body was found in a creek in Thane, the next day.

The Thane-based businessman had earlier alleged that he was being harassed by police officers and journalists and therefore seeking protection he had written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Desmukh and the Mumbai police chief.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terror squad, which was investigating the matter, has claimed that Vaze was involved in the death of Hiran.

The suspended officer is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency after it took over the investigation into the Ambani bomb scare case.