Waze met Hiren on Feb 17

Mumbai: CCTV footage shows that suspended police officer Sachin Waze and deceased businessman Mansukh Hiren had met on February 17, the day a Scorpio in Hiren's possession was `stolen', an official of the Maharashtra ATS said on Friday.

The same Scorpio was found with gelatin sticks inside near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house on February 25. The Anti-Terrorism Squad, which is probing Hiren's suspicious death, has recovered CCTV footage of a spot near Chhhatrapti Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai which showed Waze and Hiran sitting in a Mercedes, the official said.

Incidentally, the NIA, which is probing the recovery of the explosives-laden SUV, seized the same Mercedes car, allegedly being used by Waze, after arresting him. The CCTV footage showed that Hiren and Waze were in the car for about 10 minutes.

Hiren had claimed that on February 17 while he was heading for south Mumbai from his house in Thane, the steering of the Scorpio jammed, so he left it on Mulund-Airoli road and proceeded in a cab. Next day he found the SUV was missing, he said.

The CCTV footage showed Waze leaving in Mercedes from police commissioner's office. Hiren is seen walking towards the car when it is parked outside CSMT. Both sit inside and ten minutes later Hiren steps out and walks away while Waze drives back to the commissioner's office. The ATS suspects that Hiran handed over the keys of Scorpio to Waze during this meeting, sources said.

On February 25, the Scorpio was found parked near Ambani's residence `Antilia' with gelatin sticks and a threat letter. Waze was arrested by the NIA on March 13 for his alleged role in parking the SUV near Ambani's residence.

The NIA had earlier this week seized a black Mercedes car from a parking lot near CSMT and seized Rs 5 lakh in cash, note-counting machine and some `incriminating' documents.

Hiren was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5. His family alleged that Waze had a role in his death.

Two days after Param Bir Singh was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner, the Shiv Sena on Friday defended him saying that his transfer does not make him a criminal, and alleged that a "particular lobby in Delhi" was upset with him as the TRP scam came to light during his tenure.

The ruling party in Maharashtra also questioned the move of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking over the probe into the explosives-laden SUV found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house last month, saying that the agency generally investigates terrorism-related cases, but there was no terror angle involved in this episode.

The Thane sessions court on Friday adjourned till March 30 the hearing of an anticipatory bail application filed by suspended police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the death of businessman Mansukh Hiren.