Overview
- On Friday the Supreme Court, in a bench led by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, refused to overturn the Bombay High Court order that denied Sharma discharge in the 2021 Antilia bomb‑scare and Mansukh Hiren murder matters.
- The special NIA trial court and the High Court previously rejected Sharma’s discharge plea after the trial court found prima facie evidence pointing to a larger conspiracy and said it could not conclude the witness and documentary evidence were fabricated.
- The National Investigation Agency alleges Sharma conspired with prime accused Sachin Waze to eliminate Mansukh Hiren and that the explosives‑laden SUV found near Mukesh Ambani’s South Mumbai residence was Hiren’s stolen vehicle.
- Sharma, who was arrested on June 17, 2021 and granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on August 23, 2023, denies involvement; the top court noted he remains able to seek bail or anticipatory bail even though discharge is barred now.
- The case remains high profile because of the vehicle’s location outside the Ambani residence, the mysterious death of Hiren, and the involvement of former Mumbai police encounter officers, with the next steps focused on the ongoing NIA trial and any bail proceedings.