Mumbai cop Sachin Waze was running extortion racket from a five-star hotel: NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation has revealed that arrested Mumbai cop Sachin Waze was running his alleged extortion racket from a room in a Nariman Point five-star hotel booked for him for 100 days at a cost of 12 lakh by a businessman. It appears that the police officer used a false identity to check into the property.

The investigation body, which is looking into the recent bomb threat against industrialist Mukesh Ambani, has also questioned several police officers about the affairs of their now-suspended colleague. According to NIA officials, some of them may be arrested in the near future. Waze, a shootout specialist, was operating out of hotel room 1964, which he checked into using a forged Aadhaar card and the fictitious name Sushant Sadashiv

“A businessman had reserved this hotel for 100 days at a cost of Rs. 12 lakh. Waze was assisting this businessman in resolving a dispute”.

According to the officer, the booking was made through a travel agent, and the suspended cop stayed there in February while reporting for duty at the Crime Branch.

So far, in this case, the investigation agency has interrogated 35 officials up to and including the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. “We have recorded some statements; the rest, we have spoken to orally,” said NIA official, adding that some of the officers questioned could be arrested in the coming days because their complicity in Mr Waze’s affairs was unmistakable.

The NIA has inspected the said hotel room and seized CCTV footage to see who all met Mr Waze there.

“He was sorting out many deals for many influential people but as we are not an agency to look into anti-corruption matters, we’d pass the evidence to relevant agencies,” another NIA official said.

While the state police initially stalled the NIA’s probe, it relented somewhat after the latter recovered a Merceded-Benz connected to Mr Waze on February 16. “They knew we were on right track. Initially there was a hitch to remove Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, but a day later (March 17) he was removed to avoid embarrassment,” an NIA official said.

he Mumbai High Court has reserved its order on a plea by former city police chief Param Bir Singh seeking a CBI probe into alleged corruption by state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, of which Mr Waze’s extortion racket was a part.

The court posed serious questions to Mr Singh, asking him why no FIRs were filed based on his own allegations.