Antilla bomb scare: Court rejects NIA custody plea for ex-Mumbai cop Sachin Waze

Mumbai, Aug 30: A special court here on Monday refused to grant the National Investigation Agency (NIA) the custody of dismissed police officer Sachin Waze for questioning in the Antilia bomb scare case but allowed him to get admitted at a private hospital for the treatment of his heart ailment.

The cost of such treatment is to be borne by Waze and his family, the court said.

Waze, currently in judicial custody, had told the court through his lawyer that three of his arteries had "90 per cent blockage" and that doctors had advised immediate surgery for the same.

He urged the court to permit him to seek private medical treatment saying he did not wish to die in custody like tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest Stan Swamy.

Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, died on July 5, while awaiting bail on health grounds.

Last week, the NIA had applied to the special court seeking the custody of Waze for two days, and of his co-accused and former police officer Sunil Mane for five days in the Antilia bomb scare case.

Both accused, along with eight other accused arrested in the case, are currently in judicial custody.

The special court on Monday also refused to grant the custody of Mane to the NIA.

Previously, Waze was in the NIA custody for 28 days and Mane for 15 days.

The NIA had sought further custody saying it wanted to question Waze and Mane to corroborate statements of witnesses in the case.

The NIA had arrested Waze for his alleged involvement in placing an explosives-laden vehicle on Carmichael Road near billionaire Mukesh Ambani''s residence Antilia on February 25. Later, he was booked for the murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, who purportedly owned the car.