In a major swoop, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police nabbed a bookie and a dismissed policeman in connection with the mysterious death of Thane-based automobile spare parts showroom owner Mansukh Hiren, whose Scorpio laden with gelatin sticks was planted near the home of top businessman Mukesh Ambani.
The arrests come a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the case.
Suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze (49), who has been arrested in the Antilia-Scorpio planting incident, is the main suspect in the death of Mansukh Hiren.
The ATS identified the two accused as Naresh Gor (31) and Vinayak Shinde (51).
Gor is a cricket bookie and it is suspected that Vaze and Shinde had used SIM cards procured from him.
Shinde is a dismissed policeman, who was earlier convicted in the case involving the fake encounter of Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya, who was killed in a fake encounter on November 11, 2006. In 2013, a Mumbai sessions court had awarded life sentences to 21 people, including 13 Mumbai Police personnel, convicted in the case.
Shinde was currently on parole – and was in regular touch with Vaze and helped the latter in his activities.
They are being produced in a court in the Thane district.
It may be mentioned that the Additional Director General of Police Jai Jeet Singh, who heads the ATS and Deputy Inspector General Shivdeep Lande are camping in the Thane ATS unit supervising the probe.