Mumbai: Assistant Police Inspector Riyaz Kazi, a colleague of police officer Sachin Vaze, was suspended from service Monday. The suspension of Riyaz Kazi came a day after he was arrested by the NIA. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) is probing the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence. It is also probing the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Arms unit) Virendra Mishra issued the order suspending Kazi. It stated that he cannot do any private work and action will be taken against him if this order is violated. Kazi has been ordered to appear before the Local Arms Unit every Friday. The NIA arrested Kazi Sunday after a fresh round of questioning. A holiday court here had remanded Kazi in the NIA’s custody till April 16.
The NIA suspects that Kazi assisted Vaze in obtaining fake number plates used for the explosives- laden SUV. Vaze was earlier arrested March 13.
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Kazi was previously questioned multiple times by the NIA in connection with the recovery of the SUV February 25. He was also interrogated about the death of Hiran, the purported owner of that vehicle. Hiran was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.
Kazi was shunted out of the Mumbai Crime Branch last month, an official had said.
Earlier, in CCTV footage, Kazi was seen entering a number plates shop in suburban Vikhroli. He is seen talking with the outlet’s owner. He was also seen taking away a digital video recorder and a computer from the shop. Kazi was also seen collecting CCTV footage from Vaze’s housing complex in neighbouring Thane, the official had said.
The probe agency had also arrested former policeman Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gor. Waze, Shinde and Gor are currently in judicial custody.