MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested Shiv Sena leader and former ‘encounter specialist’ Pradeep Sharma in connection with a probe into the ‘Antilia’ bomb scare case and Mansukh Hiran’s murder, an official said.
An NIA team along with armed CRPF personnel had raided the Sena leader’s house located in J B Nagar in Andheri west around 6 am, the official said.
Roads leading to the building, where Sharma lives, were cordoned off by the central security forces and public movement in the area has been restricted.
After getting the information about the raid, the Mumbai police also deployed its personnel at the spot.
Earlier, Sharma had been questioned by the NIA for two days at its office in south Mumbai as part of the probe.
Sharma joined the state police force as a sub-inspector in 1983 and took voluntary retirement on September 13, 2019 to contest the assembly polls on a Shiv Sena ticket.
He lost the Nalasopara seat in the Maharashtra assembly polls.
The central investigation agency had earlier arrested former police officers Sachin Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, former police constable Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gour for their involvement in the case.
It had recently arrested Santosh Shelar and Anand Jadhav in this connection.
The NIA has said that both of them were allegedly involved in the conspiracy to plant an SUV with explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence.
The SUV was found abandoned near Ambani’s south Mumbai residence ‘Antilia’ on February 25 this year.
Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the vehicle, was found dead at a Mumbra creek on March 5.
The two linked cases, earlier being probed by Maharashtra Police, were later taken over by the NIA.
(With inputs from agencies)