A day after the suspicious death of Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the SUV that was found parked near Mukesh Ambani’s residence with gelatin sticks in it, a letter by him and addressed to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Mumbai and Thane Police Commissioner has surfaced. In the letter, Hiren has alleged mental harassment at the hands of policemen and journalists, and also sought intervention and protection for himself and his family.
Hiren was one of the key links related to the explosives-laden car found outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia. The car found outside the Ambani house was reportedly registered in Mansukh Hiren’s name. He was missing since Thursday night and his body was recovered a day later from the creek.
In the letter, which bears the date 2 March 2021, two days before Mansukh Hiren had gone missing, he had alleged that he was being treated like an accused despite being a victim in the case. Hiren mentioned that he is a peaceful person having no criminal antecedents of any nature in the past and has maintained a neat and clean record.
Hiren then goes on to explain the happenings of February 17, saying that his car suffered a technical defect after which he parked it on the Eastern Express Highway, near the Nahur flyover. He then contended that when he went to fetch the car the next day, it was nowhere to be seen. He subsequently visited the Vikhroli police station to file a complaint of a missing car.
Detailing about the harassment that started in the wake of the Antilia bomb scare incident when his car was found at the spot, Hiren stated that on February 25, at 11 pm, 2-3 ATS policemen came to his house. They informed him that his Scorpio car was found near Mukesh Ambani’s house filled with explosives. The ATS police briefly interrogated him before leaving. Afterwards, 4-5 policemen of Ghatkopar police station came to his home around 11 pm and left after interrogation. Then on February 26, at 2 am, the police of Vikhroli police station came and took him away. They detained him until 6 in the morning.
“I was being repeatedly questioned regarding the case. NIA, Joint Commissioner of Police Bhamre also questioned me regarding the case. My mental health deteriorated due to enquiries by various investigative agencies. There were frequent phone calls from journalists from many media outlets. A journalist called and said that I was a suspect in this case”, read the letter.
“I am being harassed, without having any knowledge about the culprits, who not only committed theft of my said vehicle but also misused and abandoned the same as mentioned hereinabove. I have already given my explanation and statements that how my said vehicle was stolen and I am victimised, but still unnecessarily suffering harassments at the instance of policemen and news reporters as mentioned herein-above,” Hiren pleaded in his letter.
Hiren further stated that the police and journalists have no right to harass him and sought intervention from Maharashtra CM, Home Minister and Police Commissioners of Mumbai and Thane to bring an end to the harassment meted out on him by journalists and policemen.
Mansukh Hiren’s family rules out death by suicide
Mansukh’s family members have ruled out the possibility of him committing suicide. His relatives have also pointed towards the aforementioned letter penned by Hiren, stating that he was mentally harassed by police and scribes.
Besides, the family members of Hiren have rejected the notion that Hiren might have committed suicide. According to them, he had no financial stress looming over his head and was an excellent swimmer. The family members have alleged a conspiracy behind his death.
Mystery surrounding Antilia bomb scare deepens as former Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis makes a series of revelations in Vidhan Sabha
Hours before reports of Hiren’s alleged suicide came in, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had made sensational disclosures related to the Antilia bomb scare while speaking in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha.
Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis alleged that the owner of the Scorpio car, which was used to plant gelatin sticks and a threat letter outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, was in touch with a mobile phone number that is registered under the name of Mumbai Police officer and ‘encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze.
Alleging a massive conspiracy in the case, Fadnavis had said that there were not one but two cars—one Scorpio and one Innova and added that both cars came from Thane and had followed the same route and reached the location. He said that while the Scorpio with the explosives was parked near Mukesh Ambani’s residence, the Innova had moved away.
“Sachin Vaze was the first police officer to reach the spot, and then he was appointed as the Investigation Officer (IO). Three days ago, he was removed as the IO, and I fail to understand why he was removed,” the former CM had said while asking how Vaze reached the spot before the local police.
