Antilia Bomb Scare: Special NIA Court Refuses Bail To Former Encounter Specialist Pradeep Sharma

Special Judge AT Wankhede rejected the application on Wednesday, a detailed order of which is yet to be made available.

According to the charge sheet filed by the NIA in September last year, Sharma was allegedly assigned with the task of eliminating Hiran, owner of the explosives-laden car which was found abandoned near the South Mumbai residence of Industrialist Mukesh Ambani. He was allegedly paid a huge amount of cash for the task by co-accused and another former policeman Sachin Waze. Sharma is said to have executed the killing through his accomplice Santosh Shelar.

The charge sheet further revealed that two days before Hiran was killed, Waze had called a meeting, where he ensured that Hiran was present so that the other members at the meeting – another policeman Sunil Mane and Sharma – knew what Hiran looked like.

About a week before this meeting, a green Mahindra Scorpio was found abandoned near Antilia laden with 20 gelatin sticks and a threatening note. The motive behind Waze allegedly planting the vehicle was to try and reclaim credentials as an investigator.

Sharma sought bail claiming that the allegations against him in the charge sheet were limited to his involvement in the conspiracy of the murder of Thane-resident Mansukh Hiran. The application also claimed that the agency had no material to show that he was involved in procuring or planting explosives in the vehicle near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

NIA claimed that Sharma allegedly helped Waze in destroying evidence in the case and that he was involved in hatching the conspiracy as well as executing Hiran's murder with the help of his men. Hiran was found dead in a creek in Mumbra on March 5, 2021.