Mumbai, October 9, 2025 – A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai has dismissed a plea filed by former police officer Sachin Waze, seeking to drop proceedings against him in connection with the 2021 Antilia bomb scare case and the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren.

Waze, a dismissed cop, had requested the court to terminate the proceedings, citing a lack of jurisdiction, the cognizance being time-barred, discrepancies in the investigation, and the absence of sanction for prosecution as required by law. He argued that the court did not have the authority to try him, that the case was initiated after the permissible time limit, that the investigation was flawed, and that the necessary permissions to prosecute him were not obtained.

However, Special Judge Chakor Baviskar rejected Waze's application. The NIA, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves, argued that Waze's plea was without merit and that the offenses committed by Waze in his personal capacity were serious. The NIA asserted that the crimes Waze is accused of are grave and that his arguments for dropping the case lacked substance.

Judge Baviskar stated that there is no legal provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that empowers the court to drop proceedings against the accused. The court also noted that Waze had raised similar grounds in previous pleas before the Bombay High Court, which were also rejected. The court found no legal basis to grant Waze's request, especially considering that similar arguments had already been dismissed by a higher court.

The case involves the discovery of an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence, 'Antilia,' in South Mumbai on February 25, 2021. Mansukh Hiren, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in neighboring Thane on March 5, 2021. Waze was arrested in connection with the case on March 13, 2021.

The NIA has been investigating the case, and Waze has been in custody. Earlier in the investigation, Waze's lawyers had requested a private meeting with him while he was in NIA custody, but this plea was also rejected by the court. The NIA had also accused Waze of not cooperating with the investigation.

The rejection of Waze's plea to drop proceedings marks another significant development in the ongoing case, which has drawn national attention.