Agencies | Mumbai:
In a major setback to dismissed police officer Sachin Waze, the Bombay High Court has set aside the Special Court’s order granting him bail in the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case, allowing an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The ruling means Waze will remain in custody at Thane Central Prison in connection with the alleged conspiracy involving the placement of a vehicle carrying gelatin sticks outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the subsequent murder of vehicle owner Mansukh Hiren.
The High Court overturned the lower court’s order, which had questioned whether placing unprimed gelatin sticks without a detonator outside a residence could constitute a terrorist act under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
By allowing Criminal Appeal No. 850/2026, the High Court accepted the NIA’s challenge to the bail decision and reinforced the need to examine the allegations and supporting material under the stringent provisions of the anti-terror law.
Under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, bail can be denied where, upon examination of the case diary or chargesheet, the court finds reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations against the accused are prima facie true.
The case centres on allegations that Waze, then a serving police officer, was involved in placing an explosives-laden vehicle outside Antilia to create a staged security threat. The NIA has also alleged that the episode was part of a wider conspiracy involving an attempted extortion plot and the murder of Hiren, whose death became a crucial part of the investigation.
The agency has maintained that the bomb scare and Hiren’s murder were interconnected elements of a single conspiracy, rather than separate criminal incidents.
The High Court’s decision also addresses the question of parity with other accused who had earlier secured bail. The ruling distinguishes Waze’s alleged role in the conspiracy, indicating that bail granted to co-accused does not automatically entitle an accused alleged to have played a central role to similar relief.
The NIA had challenged the Special Court’s bail order, and an interim stay had prevented Waze’s release while the appeal was pending.
The verdict is a significant development in the high-profile case, which raised serious questions about alleged misuse of police authority and accountability within the law enforcement system. The allegations against Waze will be tested during the trial.
