In a bombshell development, the diatom test results of 43-year-old Thane, based businessman indicate that he was alive at the time he fell into the water, placing the hotly contested suicide theory under a finer investigative lens. The deceased was the owner of the Scorpio, Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) found with gelatin sticks and a note, parked outside billionaire industrialist, Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia residence in South Mumbai on 25 February 2021.
On 5 March, days after the investigation revealed Hiren’s name, he was found dead in Thane’s Kalwa creek. The initial consensus was that it was a suicide. However, the circumstances surrounding the death quickly led to suspicions of foul play, with former Mumbai Police ‘encounter specialist’ and now suspended Assistant Police Inspector (ASI) Sachin Vaze at the forefront.
Vimala Hiren, the wife of the deceased was the first to accuse former ASI Waze of the alleged killing. Vaze who was once a prominent figure in the force was suspended in 2002 for his role in a controversial case involving custodial torture. Following his suspension, Vaze joined the Shiv Sena. The political party had him reinstated into the force citing a manpower shortage amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to officials, “The diatom test report has suggested that Hiren was alive when he fell into the water. It identified the proportion in the creek of the water into the lungs. We have now sent the diatom bone test samples to a Haryana Forensic Science Lab.”
Shivdeep Lande, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) said that the squad will record a detailed statement of the three doctors who conducted the deceased’s post mortem at the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, Kalwa. ASI Vaze’s presence at the hospital during the deceased’s post mortem will also be investigated.
Another significant development is the confirmation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that ASI Vaze was spotted outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence the day the gelatin-laden SUV was found. The NIA investigating ASI Vaze’s potential involvement in the ‘Bombscare’ commented on the development, “Vaze had worn an oversized kurta-pajama to mask his body language and had covered his face with a cloth to conceal his identity.”