Mansukh Hiren death case: MH govt announces Sachin Vaze's transfer from Crime Branch

Mumbai, Mar 11: A day after the Opposition in Maharashtra demanded action against police officer Sachin Vaze in connection with the death of Mansukh Hiren, whose vehicle was at the centre of the terror scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house, the state government said it has decided to transfer the officer from the Crime Branch unit.

  

 

This announcement came after it was made by Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the Legislative Council during a discussion on law and order issues raised by the Opposition. On Sunday, Hiren’s wife Vimla had submitted a statement to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), claiming that her husband was murdered and that she suspected the role of Vaze in the death.

 

 

Speaking in the House, Deshmukh said, “We have taken a decision to transfer Vaze from the crime branch and he will be posted elsewhere. Action will be taken against Vaze as per the norms. The case will be probed impartially and action will be taken against those who are guilty.”

 

On the other hand, speaking to reporters after the Budget session, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray came out in Vaze’s defence and said the Opposition was seeking to equate him with “Osama Bin Laden” and that "a person should not be hanged first and an inquiry conducted against him later".

 

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday demanded the arrest of Vaze. "Why he is not being arrested under Section 201 of IPC (destroying evidence) Who is defending him?," asked Fadnavis.

 

Fadnavis said Hiran's wife has claimed in her statement to police that her husband knew Vaze andthe Scorpio was with the police official from November 2020 to February 5, 2021. "She had also said her husband was with Vaze on February 27, 28 and March 2. The complaint letter (of Hiran) addressed to the chief minister, DyCM and police commissioners of Mumbai and Thane which surfaced in public after his death was written on the instructions of Vaze," Fadnavis said.