An SUV filled with explosives was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai home
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday said the state police were capable of solving the case of auto parts dealer Mansukh Hiran's death and the recovery of a car with explosives near the residence industrialist Mukesh Ambani.
Making a statement in the state Assembly, Mr Deshmukh said after Mansukh Hiran's wife expressed suspicion that her husband may have been murdered, the ATS registered a case against unidentified persons under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy).
Mansukh Hiran, a resident of neighbouring Thane district, was in possession of the car which was later found with explosives outside Mr Ambani's residence last month.
The body of Mansukh Hiran (46), an automobile accessories dealer, was found in a creek in Thane on March 5, hours after he went "missing".
The car, a Scorpio, with 20 gelatin sticks inside was found near ''Antilia'', the multi-storey residence of Mukesh Ambani in south Mumbai, on February 25.
Police had said the vehicle was stolen from Airoli-Mulund Bridge on February 18.
Mr Deshmukh said in the House that an appropriate probe was being conducted into the entire case.
"The Maharashtra Police are capable of solving the case. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has begun its probe into it," he said.
Earlier, talking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said the state government should be ashamed of itself for failing to provide protection to Mansukh Hiran.
"I was insisting from day one that Hiran's life was in danger...the ATS, which has now taken over the probe has filed a case of murder and causing disappearance of evidence. Hiran was a key witness in this investigation," Mr Fadnavis claimed.
Mansukh Hiran purportedly wrote a letter on March 2 to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and police commissioners of Thane and Mumbai, alleging that he was being harassed by the police and media since the vehicle was found outside Mr Ambani's house.
He had also claimed that despite being a victim, he was treated like an accused.