Bombay HC cancels Sachin Waze’s bail in Antilia bomb scare case: Dismissed cop to remain in jail

The Bombay High Court on Thursday set aside and cancelled the bail granted to dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the 2021 Antilia explosives scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday set aside and cancelled the bail granted to dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the 2021 Antilia explosives scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran. Allowing the appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a division bench of the High Court quashed the Special NIA Court's order, ensuring Waze will remain in custody at Thane Central Prison.

The NIA moved the High Court challenging the September 2026 Special Court order that had granted relief to Waze. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, argued that the special judge passed an erroneous order by ignoring key statements recorded from security personnel at Antilia. In late September 2026, the Special NIA Court granted bail to Waze, questioning the applicability of UAPA terror charges and noting a lack of recorded statements from the Ambani family.

Immediately after the Special Court’s verdict, the NIA obtained an urgent stay from the Bombay High Court, preventing Waze from walking out of prison. The probe agency asserted that Waze himself parked the gelatin-laden SUV outside businessman Mukesh Ambani's residence to extortionately stage-manage a terror threat, aiming to solve the case himself to regain lost clout. The NIA further argued that when vehicle owner Mansukh Hiran refused to take the fall, he was eliminated as a weak link.

Senior Advocate VM Thorat, representing Waze, argued that planting gelatin sticks without detonators was merely intended to create a scare rather than cause mass terror under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and cited his client's long incarceration since March 2021. The High Court accepted the NIA's contention, ruling that the special court's grounds for relief were unsustainable, thereby upholding the severe restrictions under the UAPA.

With the High Court allowing the NIA's appeal on November 5, 2026, the bail order has been formally set aside/cancelled, meaning Sachin Waze will remain incarcerated in Thane Central Prison. (ANI)