Antilla bomb scare: NIA nets three key conspirators

New Delhi, June 18: The National Investigation Agency has arrested three persons in connection with the Antilla bomb scare case.

The three conspirators who were arrested are Satish Tirupati Mothkuri, Manish Vasant Soni and Pradeep Rameshwar Sharma. The NIA has already arrested seven other accused persons in connection with this case.

On Thursday the NIA arrested former Mumbai cop, Pradeep Sharma. The arrest was made after searches were conducted at his residence earlier today.

Officers of the NIA searched Sharma's residence at Andheri on Thursday morning. Sharma was present at his residence when the searches were on. Sharma had been questioned earlier by the NIA on two occasions in connection with the case.

Sources tell OneIndia that Sharma is close to Sachin Vaze, the former Mumbai cop who was arrested in connection with the same case and has been accused of being the prime conspirator.

Sharma, a known encounter specialist joined the Mumbai Police in 1983. There are 113 shootouts in his name of the 300 encounters against the underworld that the police undertook.

Officials say that they are trying to find the links between Sharma and Vaze. It is said that the proximity between Vaze, Sharma and another arrested cop, Vinayak Shinde is well known.

Sharma took voluntary retirement in 2019 and joined the Shiv Sena. He contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Nala Sopara seat and lost.