Bail formalities completed, ex-cop may walk out of jail in Antilia case

A special NIA court here on Thursday set bail conditions for former policeman Pradeep Sharma, an accused in the Antilia bomb scare case and killing of businessman Mansukh Hiren, and accepted his plea for provisional cash bail.

Sharma is likely to walk out of jail on Friday as the formalities for release on bail were complete, his lawyer Subhash Jadhav said.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to the former 'encounter specialist' officer of Mumbai police.

Arrested in June 2021, he is currently lodged at a jail in Pune.

The special NIA court, presiding over the Antilia-Hiren case, asked Sharma to submit a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and surety of the same amount.

The court also directed Sharma to inform his latest place of residence and mobile contact number to National Investigation Agency, Mumbai in case of any change.

On February 25, 2021, an explosives-laden SUV was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence 'Antilia' in south Mumbai.

Businessman Hiren, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in neighbouring Thane on March 5, 2021.

Sharma along with police officers Daya Nayak, Vijay Salaskar and Ravindranath Angre was a member of the Mumbai Police's encounter squad that killed over 300 criminals in numerous encounters. Salaskar died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Dismissed police officer Sachin Waze is the main accused in the Antilia bomb planting case and the killing of Hiren.