Why is Former Mumbai Cop Pradeep Sharma on the NIA Radar?
In a major breakthrough in the Antillia bomb scare case and the Mansukh Hiren murder case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, 17 June, arrested former Mumbai Police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma. The federal agency on Thursday also arrested two more men in connection with the Hiren murder case  Satish Mothukari and Manish Soni. Santosh Shelar, and Anand Jadhav were also arrested as suspects in the case on Tuesday, 15 June, and have been remanded to custody till Monday, 21 June. All three  Sharma, Mothukari, and Soni  were presented before a special court and were remanded to NIA custody till 28 June. Sharma is regarded as former Mumbai cop Sachin Vazes mentor and has been questioned twice by the NIA. However, after the arrest of Shelar and Jadhav on Tuesday, where Shelar mentioned Sharma in his statement, the NIA started tightening the noose on Pradeep Sharma. Also Read: Ambani Bomb Scare Case: NIA Makes Two More Arrests From Mumbai  According to NIA, Sharma is a prime suspect along with Vaze in the Mansukh Hiren murder case and have alleged that the red colour SUV parked outside the Ambani residence was provided by him. Another clue that pointed towards Sharma is the last location of Sachin Vazes mobile, which was traced near Sharmas residence. The agency told the special court that Mothukari and Soni along with Shelar and Jadhav, had smothered Hiren in a red Tavera car on Ghodbunder Road in Thane and dumped his body in a creek near Mumbra, at the behest of Vaze and Sharma. On Thursday, the NIA raided Sharmas house in Andheri and seized a printer, computer, and a laptop. They also recovered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The NIA conducted a raid at his residence located in JB Nagar in Mumbais Andheri (West) around 6 am and the operation continued for several hours. The officials recovered some incriminating documents from his house, reported PTI, quoting a NIA official. Sharma is the fifth police officer to be arrested by the NIA. The NIA arrested Sachin Vaze on 13 March and claimed that he was the mastermind behind the Ambani explosives scare and the Hiren murder case. The NIA has also arrested API Riyaz Qazi, Sunil Mane, former constable Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gore. Antilia Bomb Scare Case  On 25 February, a SUV containing 20 gelatin sticks, was found parked outside Mukesh Ambanis residence, Antilia, in Mumbai. The local police were informed of the unattended vehicle by Ambanis security team. Mansukh Hiren  an auto parts dealer who had claimed the SUV used in the bomb scare was stolen from him  was found dead in a creek in Thane on 5 March, just a few days after the SUV was detected. The bomb squad reportedly after examining the vehicle confirmed that the explosive gelatin sticks were found inside the car and that it was not an assembled explosive device. . Read more on India by The Quint.Why is Former Mumbai Cop Pradeep Sharma on the NIA Radar?SC Notice in Delhi Polices Plea Against Bail for UAPA Accused . Read more on India by The Quint.