The Bombay High Court raised serious questions regarding the lifestyle and conduct of dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, sharply scrutinizing his frequent use of luxury vehicles and prolonged stays in five-star hotels during his tenure in the Mumbai police force. A division bench comprising Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale observed that when serious criminal conduct is attributed to an officer serving in uniform, judicial scrutiny must extend beyond basic procedural elements to examine personal integrity, professional ethics, and conduct that defies official standing.
The observations came during the hearing of an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency, which challenged a special court order that granted bail to Waze. The high court had previously imposed an interim stay on that relief, ensuring that the former officer remained detained at Thane Central Jail pending the outcome of the agency's challenge. Waze remains a central accused in the high-profile 2021 Antilia bomb scare case involving the placement of an explosives-laden vehicle outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence, as well as the related murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.
During the proceedings, the bench drew attention to witness statements detailing how Waze drove premium luxury automobiles while visiting high-profile administrative locations, including the Mumbai city police commissionerate and the official residence of the Maharashtra chief minister. The judges questioned how a junior officer holding the rank of assistant police inspector could maintain such an extravagant lifestyle on a modest public salary. Addressing the court, the prosecution clarified that the monthly salary for an officer of that rank typically does not exceed ninety thousand rupees, prompting the bench to point out that such conspicuous expenditure aligns directly with broader allegations of extortion and abuse of power.
The judges also expressed surprise at witness accounts establishing that Waze had maintained a suite at the Oberoi Hotel in south Mumbai for roughly one hundred days. The bench questioned how a serving police officer could book and occupy luxury accommodations at a premier five-star hotel for more than three months on a government paycheck without raising red flags or drawing oversight. The court remarked that these lifestyle anomalies cannot be viewed in isolation from the financial crimes, extortion operations, and misuse of state authority with which the accused has been charged.
Turning to the physical evidence collected by investigators, the bench questioned the federal agency regarding the procurement of the explosive materials recovered from the vehicle parked near Antilia. The judges asked whether the investigation had established where the twenty gelatin sticks found inside the abandoned SUV were originally purchased, noting that both the sale and purchase of commercial explosives are governed by strict regulatory and licensing frameworks. The prosecution admitted that the exact source of procurement had not yet been traced, attributing the investigative gap to Waze’s alleged lack of cooperation throughout interrogations.
When the bench inquired whether releasing Waze under stringent bail conditions would cause prejudice to the prosecution given that he has spent over five years in custody, the agency strongly opposed the proposition. Counsel for the federal agency argued that no standard condition would be strict enough to neutralize the risks posed by the former policeman. The prosecution highlighted Waze's prior implication in a fake encounter case, arguing that he had betrayed his primary duty to protect citizens by instigating fear and participating in the murder of a civilian. The agency warned that releasing Waze could directly compromise the judicial process through the intimidation of witnesses and the destruction of material evidence, adding that the prosecution stands prepared to commence trial immediately and examine approximately one hundred and fifty witnesses.
The court’s remarks underscore the gravity of institutional corruption when law enforcement authority is turned inward. As the legal battle over Waze's bail continues, the questions surrounding his unaccounted wealth, luxury vehicles, and elite hotel stays highlight the profound breach of trust alleged in one of Mumbai’s most scrutinized criminal investigations.