Mumbai,11April 2021:
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Mumbai Police’s Assistant Police Inspector Riyaz Kazi.
He is accused in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh hiren’s death case. He was quizzed by NIA in these cases many times. It is a second arrest in this case.
On 13th March NIA arrested API Sachin Waze and he is under judicial custody till 23rd April. Kazi was a close aide of Waze and both were working in the Crime Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Police.
Kazi, who was posted in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) along with Vaze, was aware of Vaze’s plans and “actively” took part in the conspiracy, said an officer who didn’t want to be named.
Vaze was arrested on March 13 by the central anti-terror probe agency for allegedly devising the whole plan with the motive to regain his lost glory in the Mumbai police, as first reported by the HT. The agency then also took over the investigation into the murder of Hiran claiming it was a “connected” offence and Vaze had killed Hiran after the businessman refused to take the blame for the explosive-laden vehicle.
The NIA earlier questioned Kazi for several days in a row to join the dots in the probe and it was revealed that he may have played a crucial role in procuring the fake number plates for the cars used by Vaze’s team members. He was also reportedly part of the meetings, where allegedly conspiracy to kill Hiran was hatched, but this aspect is being further investigated by the agency, said a second officer.