SC Grants Bail To Ex-Cop Pradeep Sharma In Antilia Bomb Scare Case

Former Mumbai Police officer Pradeep Sharma, who had been taken into custody in relation to the Antilia bomb scare case and the killing of businessman Mansukh Hiran, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. This decision came after the Bombay High Court had previously denied his bail request in January.

The incident under scrutiny occurred on February 25, 2021, when an SUV loaded with gelatine was discovered close to the residence of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, known as 'Antilia,' situated in the southern part of Mumbai. Subsequently, Mansukh Hiran, the individual in possession of the aforementioned SUV, was found deceased in a creek in the neighboring Thane area on March 5, 2021.

Sharma's legal representative contended that the sole accusation against the former police officer was that he had assisted his former colleague Sachin Waze, the primary suspect in both the planting of the bomb near Antilia and the killing of Hiran, in the disposal of Hiran's body.

Recognized as a "specialist in encounters," Sharma had been a member of the Mumbai Police's encounter squad, which had been responsible for the deaths of more than 300 criminals in various police encounters.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was representing Sharma, put forth that Sharma was a decorated police officer who had completed 37 years of service before retiring. He further explained the events leading up to the case, stating, "Waze aimed for recognition and the limelight. They planned to place an explosive device outside the residence of an industrialist in Mumbai. For this purpose, gelatin sticks were procured. The victim in this case is Mansukh Hiran. In collaboration with Hiran, he took possession of Hiran's car, falsely reported it as stolen, placed gelatin sticks in it, and left it parked near the industrialist's residence. The intention behind this act was to subsequently recover the car and gain attention for discovering a supposed attack. The high court acknowledges this, and I (Sharma) remain uninvolved in all of these proceedings," Rohatgi asserted.

Rohatgi further argued that there was no direct evidence connecting Sharma to Sachin Waze. He highlighted, "I am a retired police officer. I encountered Waze at the Malabar Hill police station. He reached out to me and we were acquainted. The second time we met was at the police commissioner's office. Can a conspiracy to murder someone feasibly be hatched at the police commissioner's office?"