Crime
Antilia case: Pradeep Sharma plotted Mansukh Hiran’s ‘cold-blooded murder’
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named dismissed police officer Pradeep Sharma as the ‘main conspirator’ in the “cold-blooded murder” of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, in its affidavit in the case pertaining to planting a SUV with 20 gelatin sticks outside Antilia, the home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani.
Aware of the entire conspiracy, the NIA told the Bombay High Court that Hiran was considered the ‘weak link’ in the larger conspiracy to terrorise the billionaire Ambani family, when the SUV was discovered on February 25, 2021, sending shockwaves across the country.
Opposing the bail plea of Sharma – nabbed on June 17, 2021 and currently in judicial custody – the NIA affidavit said he was not innocent and had committed offences of criminal conspiracy, murder and terror acts.
A division bench comprising Justice A. S. Chandurkar and Justice G. A. Sanap has kept Sharma’s bail plea — challenging the Special NIA Court’s rejection of his bail application in February 2022 — for further hearing on July 17.
“Pradeep Sharma was an active member of a gang that had conspired to terrorise people, including the Ambani family, and murdered Hiran as he was a weak link in the conspiracy,” said the NIA, adding that Sharma and other accused were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for heinous and serious offences.
Hiran was aware of the entire conspiracy of parking the SUV outside Antilia that day and the accused (Sharma and co-conspirator and sacked cop Sachin Vaze) feared that he (Hiran) could spill the beans making it difficult for the duo to gather the fruits of the larger plot.
The NIA said that from the evidence gathered, it was crystal clear that Sharma was directly involved in the crime and committed offences of conspiracy, terrorist act, being member of a terror gang, kidnapping, murder and destruction of evidence.
It said Sharma willingly and intentionally entered into a well-organised criminal conspiracy for the execution of Hiran which was a direct outcome of the terror acts committed by Vaze and the other accused.
The NIA also claimed that Hiran was eliminated after he refused to take the blame for parking the SUV outside Antilia.
“When Hiran refused to take blame for the crime, Vaze hatched a conspiracy with Sharma and other accused to kill Hiran so that he does not divulge that Vaze was the one who parked the vehicle outside Antilia,” the NIA said in its affidavit.
The larger conspiracy in the case involved parking of the SUV, and circulating threat letters in the name of ‘Jaish-ul-Hind’ to terrorise the Ambani family and local people.
The NIA pointed out that after killing Hiran, the accused (Sharma-Vaze) attempted to show it as a suicide. Shockingly, Sharma had attended meetings in the Commissioner of Police premises where the alleged conspiracy was hatched.
As the main conspirator, Sharma hired henchmen to kill Hiran by paying Rs 45 lakhs he had got from Vaze, and after the murder, asked the co-accused to flee from Mumbai to Nepal.
The NIA argued that Sharma was famous as an ‘encounter specialist’, influential and if released on bail, he would tamper with the evidence and influence the witnesses.
Crime
NIA files charge sheet against 2 in Vizianagaram terror conspiracy case

New Delhi, Nov 11: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against two accused in an Andhra Pradesh and Telangana terror conspiracy case, an official said on Tuesday.
The two accused, identified as Siraz Ur Rahiman of Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh) and Syed Sameer of Hyderabad (Telangana), were arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police on May 16 and May 17, 2025, respectively.
The chargesheet, filed against them before the NIA Special Court, Visakhapatnam, names them for their involvement in radicalising and preparing gullible youth across India through social media platforms to carry out terrorist attacks at various places in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and across the country.
Siraz Ur Rahiman and Syed Sameer have been charged under various sections of the BNS, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The NIA, which took over the case from Andhra Pradesh Police, collected sufficient evidence establishing that the accused were inspired by ISIS ideology and were actively involved in spreading radical content through various social media groups and channels, targeting hundreds of gullible youths across India with the intent to incite them towards violent jihad and anti-national activities.
The NIA investigations revealed that the accused had created several social media groups on platforms such as Instagram and Signal, which were used to promote unlawful activities threatening the unity, integrity, security and communal harmony of the country.
The NIA continues to investigate the conspiracy to spread extremist propaganda and promote radicalisation, said a statement.
In a separate development, two more accused have been sentenced to Simple Imprisonment (SI) in the Pakistan-linked Visakhapatnam Navy espionage case by a Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an official said on Tuesday.
The NIA Special Court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) has sentenced Kalavalapalli Konda Babu of Visakhapatnam District (Andhra Pradesh) and Aviansh Somal of Kangra District (Himachal Pradesh) to 5 years and 10 months of SI under each of sections 18 of UA(P) Act and section 3 of the Official Secrets Act.
The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each, and in the event of default of payment, the accused persons will have to undergo an additional one-year SI in the case, said an NIA statement.
Crime
Mumbai Customs Foils Smuggling Attempt, Seizes ₹14 Crore Worth Of Hydro Ganja At CSMIA

The Mumbai Customs Department has seized 14 crore rupees worth of hydro ganja and smuggled gold in five separate operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between November 6 and 9. Officials from Zone 3 of the Customs Department carried out the operations, which led to the arrest of multiple passengers arriving from Bangkok, Phuket, and Nairobi.
The first seizure took place on November 6, when a passenger arriving from Bangkok was found carrying 2.87 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis valued at Rs 2.87 crore. The next day, two more passengers flying in from Phuket were caught with nearly 4 kilograms of hydro cannabis, worth approximately Rs 4.2 crore.
On November 8, Customs officials intercepted more passengers arriving from Bangkok and Nairobi, recovering additional hydro cannabis and smuggled 22-carat gold bars weighing 358 grams. The estimated value of the gold is Rs 3.7 lakh.
In total, 13 kilograms and 84 grams of hydro ganja and 358 grams of gold were confiscated over three days. Customs officials stated that strict surveillance measures are being maintained at the airport, and all attempts to smuggle narcotics or gold will be firmly dealt with.
Hydroponic cannabis, often called hydro cannabis, is grown without soil using a nutrient-rich water solution. Common in Thailand, this method enables cultivators to precisely control growing conditions, resulting in faster growth and higher yields. These plants are usually grown indoors under LED or HPS lights, with regulated temperature, humidity, and nutrients. The increasing production of hydro cannabis in Thailand has led to rising smuggling attempts into India.
Crime
Uttarakhand man injured in Delhi blast was in Chandni Chowk for wedding shopping

New Delhi, Nov 11: A young man from Gadarpur in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district was among those injured in the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station. The injured man has been identified as 28-year-old Harshul Setia.
According to information received, Harshul, son of Sanjeev Setia, is a resident of Saraswati Vihar Colony in Gadarpur. His father said that Harshul is scheduled to get married in February. He had travelled to Delhi with his mother, brother, and fiancee for wedding shopping. They were shopping in a lane opposite the blast site when a shard of glass from the explosion struck Harshul on the head.
Sanjeev Setia said he received a phone call last evening informing him about his son’s injury. He added that Harshul is now safe and in stable condition. Following the advice of security agencies, he declined to make further comments.
He said he is leaving for Delhi to bring his son and family back home. After Harshul’s discharge from LNJP Hospital, the family will return to Gadarpur, where he will introduce his son to the media.
Meanwhile, the white Hyundai i20 car that exploded on Netaji Subhash Marg in Delhi near the Red Fort was parked outside a mosque for nearly two hours before the incident, sources said.
The police managed to piece together the route of the vehicle by obtaining CCTV footage from the area.
The blast took place at around 7 p.m., the police said. The car then took a U-turn near the Old Delhi Railway Station and then headed towards Lower Subhash Marg.
The car slowed down at the traffic signal on Chhata Rail Chowk, and then the explosion occurred, the police said.
It is, however, unclear whether the explosion was meant to take place at the signal or the occupants intended to ram the car into the Red Fort, officials said.
The trail of the car’s ownership is also under investigation. It has been found that the car was sold several times.
The vehicle bore the registration number HR26CE7674. It was first registered in 2014 to one Mohammad Salman, a resident of Gurugram. Following this, the car had been sold multiple times.
Salman sold it to a person called Devender, following which it was sold to a person in Ambala.
The current owner of the car remains unknown, and investigators are working on that aspect.
The registered owner, however, is under arrest and being questioned.
Multiple agencies are working on the case.
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