Bombay High Court keeps Sachin Vaze in custody pending bail appeal

The Bombay High Court has stayed a lower court’s decision to grant bail to former police officer Sachin Vaze in the Antilia explosives and Mansukh Hiran murder cases. A special court granted Vaze bail on September 29, 2026, after he had spent more than five years in custody. The High Court suspended the order the following day, meaning Vaze remains at Thane Central Prison.

A bench led by Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said the stay would remain until October 7, when it will hear the National Investigation Agency’s appeal. The court also directed the state’s lawyer to inform prison authorities that Vaze should not be released. The High Court has not decided whether Vaze is entitled to bail.

The lower court’s order remains under challenge, and its effect could revive if the High Court rejects the NIA’s appeal. If the appeal succeeds, the bail order would be set aside. The case concerns a Scorpio SUV containing gelatin sticks and a threat note that was found near Antilia, the Mumbai residence of the Ambani family, in February 2021.

The vehicle’s owner, businessman Mansukh Hiran, was later found dead near Thane. The NIA arrested Vaze in March 2021 and accused him of conspiring in both the placement of the vehicle and Hiran’s murder. Charges have been framed against Vaze, former police officer Pradeep Sharma and eight others.

The agency argues that the alleged conduct amounted to a terrorist act under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Vaze’s lawyers may argue that he has spent years in custody while the trial continues. The High Court is scheduled to hear both sides on October 7.