NIA court allows ED to record Sachin Waze's statement in money laundering case against Deshmukh

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) obtained National Investigation Agency (NIA) court's permission to record suspended Mumbai Police Officer Sachin Waze's statement in a money laundering case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh at Taloja prison tomorrow.

ED officers have confirmed that a team will visit Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai to record Waze's statement tomorrow.

The probe agency had earlier informed the court that various bar owners were called by it for a statement and they had categorically said that they paid Rs 40 lakh to Sachin Waze as Good luck Money in December 2020 when Waze was Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) head.

ED had told the court that the bar owners paid Rs 1.64 crore and Rs 2.66 crore to Mumbai Police's Zone 1 to 7 and Zone 8 to 12.

"Sachin Waze told bar owners that money will go to so and so. Sachin Waze has also accepted that he has collected Rs 4.77 crore between December 2020 and February 2021 and handed over the money to Kundan Shinde. Two police officers' statements were recorded and they said that Palande was also given money. Sachin Waze also verified this statement of police officers about Palande," ED's lawyer had told the court.

The case against the former Home Minister was registered on May 11.

NIA arrested Waze in March in connection with the investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai.

Waze is the prime accused in placing an explosives-laden vehicle near Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's house Antilia in Mumbai on February 25.

Waze was also accused of the murder of Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the vehicle that was found containing explosives materials outside Antilia.Hiren was found dead on March 5 in Thane.

Waze, former Assistant Police Inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), was later transferred to the Citizen Facilitation Centre at Mumbai Police Headquarters after his name came up in Mansukh Hiren's death case.

Waze was dismissed from service in May 2021.

( With inputs from ANI )