Shinde, fake encounter cop, and Gore, bookie, Convicted in Hiren's Murder ‘on Sachin Vaze Order’

In the recent development of the Hiren Murder case, on Sunday, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a policeman and a bookie in connection with the murder case of businessman Hiren Hiren whose Scorpio was found laden with explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence on February 25, adding that police officer Sachin Vaze had played a key role in the crime and emerged as the prime accused.

The confined have been identified as Vinayak Shinde (55), a constable convicted for the fake encounter of Chhota Rajan ally Ram Lakhan Bhaiya in 2007, and Naresh Ramniklal Gore (31), a bookie. On parole since May 2020, Shinde had operated with Vaze in a team led by retired encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma.

ATS suspects more policemen are involved in the crime instigated by Hiren's disinclination to take the rap for planting the explosives. Vaze is alleged to have ordered the hit still may not have been present when Hiren was murdered. However, the digital trail left by Vaze and others in communicating with Hiren and each other helped ATS to detain the suspects.

Till 30 March, Gore and Shinde had impounded them in custody and will be produced before the Thane ATS court. ATS chief Jaijeet Singh stated that Gore, bookie, had procured five SIM cards and handed them to Shinde who was in touch with Vaze who was released on parole.

However, these arrests are merely the tip of the iceberg, said an official, adding that more suspects, mostly cops, will be captured in a day or two. Moreover, the two accused have confessed to their role and about Vaze and a few more cops who extended logistics support, the official added.

Preliminary investigations suggest Vaze eliminated Hiren because he feared the latter would succumb to pressure and disclose the plan. There are two theories regarding Vaze’s reasons for fabricating a terror case. “Either Vaze would crack the case and become a super cop, or he and some other cops, including a senior officer, were hoping to get into a private security firm being propelled by a corporate,” said an official. The plan to kill Hiren was plotted on March 2 during a two-hour meeting Vaze held with two colleagues at their headquarters near Crawford Market. On the same day, Vaze asked Hiren to draft a letter through an advocate affirming he was under pressure from the police and the media, which was not the case.

Vaze’s phone records have confirmed his location near the Ambani residence on a fateful night, an officer said. Furthermore, he ensures not to receive or make any calls from his personal phone, to build an alibi, on the day of the murder, that is on March 4, the ATS has told the Thane court. In fact, there were only 8 messages on his mobile even though it was not switched off. All contact with accomplices were through SIM cards procured from Gujarat. And to strengthen his defence, Vaze dawdled at Dongri, carrying out searches on hotels till late at night on March 4.

In fact, the effort to eradicate evidence began much before. A day after the car was found near the Ambani house, four men from Vaze’s team visited Hiren’s shop in Thane and took away the digital video recorder linked to his CCTV and installed a new one in its place. Sources said though Vaze himself did not take part in Hiren's murder, but was coordinating with the killers and a few cops over the phone. In addition to that the accused policemen and a few individuals from Thane, who are yet to be arrested, are claimed in providing logistical support in luring Hiren to Ghodbunder Road in Thane before attacking him in a moving car and then dumping his body in a Mumbra creek. Moreover, the prima facie diatom report has indicated that Hiren was alive when he was thrown in the creek.

The government announced the transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday. The team led by ACP Shripad Kale, Jaijeet Singh, additional commissioner Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner Rajkumar Shinde, senior inspector Daya Nayak and Dhole have been investigating the case for the last one week.