Arrested Mumbai cop and controversial “Encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze has been suspended by an order of Addl CP Special Branch, said Mumbai Police PRO, S Chaitanya to ANI, in less than a year following his reinstatement. The Maharashtra Assistant police inspector had remained suspended for 16 years over a case of custodial death. He was reinstated in June last year in a controversial decision citing lack of adequate police personnel during the Covid pandemic.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1371363978429960194?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe circumstances of his reinstatement had come under intense scrutiny following his arrest on Saturday by the National Investigation Agency for his role in the mysterious death of Mansukh Hiren and the explosives-laden car found outside the residence of Mukesh Ambani. After Sachin Vaze’s involvement in the case was highlighted by the opposition in the assembly, the Maharashtra Government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been facing a lot of questions regarding the reinstatement and his role in controversial cases.
How Vaze was reinstated into Mumbai Police overnight following 16 years of suspension
For the uninitiated, on the 5th of June, 2020, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had reinstated Sachin Vaze into the Mumbai Police. The decision of his reinstatement was reportedly taken in haste, explaining it as a measure to deal with staff shortage precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sachin Vaze, who had joined Shiv Sena after his suspension, was even part of the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) that was felicitated by Param Bir Singh for “best detection of the TRP scam”. The team comprised of ACP Shashank Sanbhor and assistant police inspectors Sachin Vaze, Nitin Londhe, Santosh Kotwal and Riyaz Kazi. Riyaz Kazi has also been reportedly arrested by the NIA in the current case.
Sachin Vaze was suspended in March 2004 over the custodial death of Khwaja Yunus, a 27-year-old software engineer. He resigned three years later and following his resignation, he reportedly joined the Shiv Sena.
“Encounter Specialist” Sachin Vaze arrested by the NIA
Since his arrest late Saturday night, he has spilt the beans claiming to be “a piece of the iceberg” in the Antilla Bomb Scare case, ABP News has reported. The report says that sources have claimed that Sachin Vaze was a very small part of the plan and the Shiv Sena leaders he named played a bigger role. It is pertinent to note here that Vaze was also behind the dramatic arrest of Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami last year in a case that was widely slammed as the Maharashtra government’s vendetta against the media house.
Vaze has been has been sent to NIA custody till 25th March.