New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday granted bail to former Mumbai cop and encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, arrested in connection with the sensational Mansukh Hiran murder case.
A bench headed by Justice A S Bopanna allowed Pradeep Sharma’s appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order of January 2023, which rejected his bail plea. The apex court had earlier granted him interim bail on account of his ailing wife and aged mother. Pradeep Sharma was arrested in the case in June 2021.
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Pradeep Sharma had contended before the apex court that the health condition of his wife was deteriorating with each passing day. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Pradeep Sharma in connection with the parking of an explosives-laden Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) outside Antilia, the south Mumbai residence of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, and the subsequent murder of a Thane-based car accessories shop owner Mansukh Hiran.
The NIA claimed Pradeep Sharma allegedly conspired with another sacked policeman Sachin Vaze to finish off Hiran, considered a 'weak link' in the entire conspiracy to terrorise industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family. Pleading innocence, Pradeep Sharma had previously told the court that he was a victim of police rivalry, however, his multiple bail petitions were rejected by the Bombay High Court.
Pradeep Sharma joined Mumbai Police as sub-inspector in 1983 and has been involved in over 300 encounters out of which 113 shootouts are in his name.
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