Sachin Vaze

Sachin Hindurao Vaze (born 22 February 1972) is a former Indian police officer who served as an Assistant Police Inspector in Mumbai Police (under the Maharashtra Police).

He was dismissed from service by Mumbai Police Commissioner under Article 311 (2) (b) without a departmental enquiry.

He is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency for his alleged involvement in the Antilia bomb scare and the murder of Mansukh Hiren.

He was a member of Shiv Sena.

Vaze is an "encounter specialist" with the Mumbai Encounter Squad.

He was involved with the deaths of as many as 63 alleged criminals but never got injured in encounter.

Vaze was born on 22 February 1972 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

He joined the State Police Service in 1990.

He was first posted to the Naxal-affected area of Gadchiroli.

In 1992, Vaze was transferred to Thane City Police, where he quickly gained fame for detecting several significant cases.

Rising in rank, he eventually headed the Special Squad of the Thane Police and began carrying out encounters in the city, allegedly killing over 60 criminals in the Mumbai-Thane area.This squad, formed around 1997 to address growing extortion demands and open violence, soon became associated with 'encounters', a euphemism for summary executions in India where an alleged criminal is cornered and asked to surrender, but ostensibly attacks the police or attempts escape, and is shot dead in retaliation.

Subsequently, Vaze was selected to work in the Mumbai Police elite Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU), and along with his mentor Pradeep Sharma, later was transferred to the Anti-Extortion Cell (AE Cell), where his first-ever encounter was recorded.

Vaze's career spanned 30 years, during which he became known for "encounter killings" of 63 alleged criminals, including notorious gangsters like Munna Nepali.

Vaze also dealt with cases of counterfeit currency and was instrumental in dealing with cases involving film industry personalities.

Vaze came into the limelight in 1997 when he detected international credit card fraud, which was the first time that a gang of such swindlers was arrested in Asia.

Vaze continued this effort in Mumbai in 2001.

There was conjecture that Vaze was framed in the Khwaja Yunus murder case.

On 3 March 2004, Vaze and 14 other policemen were suspended on murder charges in the custodial death of Khwaja Yunus, a suspect in the 2002 Ghatkopar bombing case.

Vaze subsequently resigned from the police in November 2007 after requests for his reinstatement were rejected by the Maharashtra Government.

Vaze resigned in 2007.

Vaze also released a mobile application called MobiCID.

In short order, MobiCID gained the attention of various media sectors.

On February 25, 2021, a Mahindra Scorpio SUV with fake license plates and around 20 explosive gelatin sticks was parked outside Mumbai businessman Mukesh Ambani's residence Antilia.

Vaze was the first investigating officer in the bomb-scare case.

The presumed car owner, Mansukh Hiren, who had filed a police complaint about the SUV being stolen, was later found dead in a creek near Thane on March 5, 2021.

Three days before his death, Hiren had written a letter accusing the police of harassment.

The leader of opposition of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis demanded the arrest of Vaze for Hiren's alleged murder.

In 2008, Vaze joined Shiv Sena, a political party in India.

However he never renewed his membership so it later "expired".

He was suspended for 17 years after his arrest in the custodial death of Khwaja Yunus, but was granted bail and later reinstated in June 2017.

He led the Raigad police team in the arrest of Republic TV editor-in-chief, Arnab Goswami.

In March 2021, he was arrested again for his role and involvement in the Antilla Bomb Scare.

After his arrest, he was suspended once again from police service.

He was dismissed from his police position on May 11, 2021.

In a press conference, Maharashtra ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis claimed that when he was Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2018, Shiv Sena asked him to reinstate Vaze, which he disposed after consulting the state Advocate General.

Vaze is also known for his technology and cyber skills.

Frequently seen with modern electronics in his hands and pockets, Vaze is known to have solved many serious cybercrimes.

He is also believed to have established cellphone interception units and email tracking units of Mumbai Police.

On 6 June 2020, Vaze's suspension was revoked by the Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray, and he was reinstated by Mumbai Police amid a police staff shortage at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar said that neither Thackeray nor the state home minister Anil Deshmukh were responsible for the reinstatement.