Antilia terror scare case: Bombay HC seeks NIA reply to Waze’s habeas corpus plea against ‘wrong detention’, invoking UAPA

Ponda added that Waze was wrongly charged with UAPA with a claim of him planting gelatin sticks and threat letter in an SUV near Antilia, the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in South Mumbai on February 25, 2021.

After perusing the plea, the bench orally asked Waze’s counsel if it was a petition in a court or a thesis for Ph.D quoting poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, to which Ponda responded that Waze had drafted the same from Taloja central prison where he is in judicial custody and his 15-16 hours everyday go into filing petitions and researching on the criminal law.

“On perusal of the petition, we deem it appropriate to have a response of the NIA, since the petition seeks multiple reliefs, primary relief being his production before the court (habeas corpus), in the background that he has been wrongly detained,” the bench noted.

It granted time to the NIA to file an affidavit followed by Waze’s rejoinder if necessary and posted further hearing to September 23.

On August 14, the bench had concluded the hearing and reserved its order on another  plea by Waze seeking bail after being incarcerated for over two years in a corruption case involving former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and others. The court is likely to pass an order on granting interim relief to Waze on August 23.