Antilia bomb scare row: Two people arrested in Mansukh Hiren death case

Mumbai, Mar 21: Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested two persons in connection with Mansukh Hiren, the purported owner of the car with explosives found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence last month, death case.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday transferred the death case of Mansukh Hiren, related to the Antilia security scare incident, to National Investigation Agency (NIA) from the Maharashtra ATS, news agency ANI reported.

Hiren, an automobile accessories dealer from Thane, had purportedly written a letter on March 2 to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and police commissioners of Thane and Mumbai, alleging that he was being harassed by the police and media since the vehicle was found outside Ambani's house.

He had also claimed that despite being a victim, he was treated like an accused.

The car, a Scorpio, with 20 gelatin sticks inside was found near ''Antilia'', the multi-storey residence of Mukesh Ambani in south Mumbai, on February 25.

Police had said the vehicle was stolen from Airoli- Mulund Bridge on February 18.

In the letter, Hiren claimed that he was being harassed despite not having any knowledge about the culprits, who not only "stole his vehicle but also misused it".

A Thane Police official had said that Hiren had left his shop around 8.30 pm on March 4 in an autorickshaw and since then his phone was switched off.

"His family members had lodged a missing person''s report on Friday morning after he did not return home and a case was registered at Naupada police station. By that time, a body was found at Mumbra and it was later confirmed that the deceased was Mansukh," he had said, adding that Hiren''s mobile phone is yet to be recovered.

Officials on Saturday said the autopsy report of Hiren reserved the opinion on the cause of his death and added that no visible external injuries were found on his body.

The viscera of Hiren was already sent for forensic analysis, they said.