![A team of NIA arrives to conduct a raid at former police officer Pradeep Sharma]s residence at Andheri in Mumbai, Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo | PTI)](http://media.assettype.com/TNIE%2Fimport%2F2021%2F6%2F17%2Foriginal%2FMumbai_cop_PTI.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested former "encounter specialist" police officer Pradeep Sharma and two others in Mumbai for their alleged involvement in the Antilia' bomb scare case and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said.
Sharma is the fifth policeman to be arrested in the case by the NIA, which has so far held 10 persons in this connection.
"An NIA team picked up Sharma at Aamby Valley in Lonavla hill station near Mumbai on Wednesday night, after which he was brought to the central agency's office in south Mumbai for questioning, he said.
The NIA also conducted a raid at his residence located in J B Nagar in Mumbai's Andheri (west) around 6 am, and the operation continued for several hours, during which some incriminating documents were recovered, the official added.
After questioning him for a few hours, the NIA placed him under arrest on Thursday, he said.
The NIA also arrested Satish alias Tanni bhai alias Vicky Baba and Manish Soni from Malad in Mumbai in connection with the case, he said.
They were presented in a special court here, which remanded them in NIA custody till June 28.
According to sources, Sharma's involvement came to light during the interrogation of two other accused - Santosh Shelar and Anand Jadhav, who were apprehended from Latur on June 11.
Both of them were arrested for their role in Hiran murder case, the sources said, adding that Shelar, who is in the redevelopment of Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, had links with Sharma.
Earlier, the agency had arrested police officers Sachin Waze, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane.
After their arrest, they were dismissed from service.
It had also arrested former police constable Vinayak Shinde in this connection along with cricket bookie Naresh Gor.
Sharma had allegedly helped Waze in destroying evidence in the case, the sources said, adding he was involved in hatching the conspiracy, and planning as well executing the murder of Hiran with the help of his men.
Around two months ago, the NIA had questioned Sharma at its office for two days after his name cropped up in the case.
An explosives-laden SUV was found abandoned near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's south Mumbai residence Antilia' on February 25 this year.
Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that he was in possession of the vehicle, was found dead in a Mumbra creek on March 5.
Sharma, who was heading anti-extortion cell of Thane police in his last posting, had opted for voluntary retirement in 2019.
Officials said that during the investigation, it came to light that Sharma had visited Mumbai Police Commissioner's office and also was present for a conspiracy meeting which was held in a western suburb with other arrested police officers.
Sharma, a 1983 batch police officer, was reportedly involved in the ''encounter'' killings of over 100 criminals during his service in the police force.
However, he was dismissed from service in August 2008 for his alleged underworld links.
He was reinstated in the force in May 2009 following the orders of the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT).
In 2010 Sharma was arrested by the police for the 2006 alleged fake encounter of Lakhan Bhaiya in Versova.
Sharma spent almost four years behind bars in the case before being acquitted by a court in July 2013.
He was reinstated in the police force in 2017.
But two years later, he opted for voluntary retirement from the service and unsuccessfully contested assembly elections from Nalasopara on Shiv Sena ticket.