Dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze may be pardoned in the corruption case filed against him by CBI after he sought to become an approver against the accused, including former Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh, on Wednesday.
The CBI gave its nod to Waze’s plea. The agency stated that he should fulfill the requirements and legal conditions to become an approver.
If the court allows his plea, Waze’s testimony will be recorded as a prosecution witness and the evidence can be used against the other accused. He will not have to face trial.
Waze had made a similar request to ED, which has filed a money laundering case against him, Deshmukh and others.
In February, Waze had written to the ED assistant director and investigating officer, seeking to make a voluntary disclosure and urging that he be considered for pardon. No step has been taken so far by ED or Waze before the special court in this regard.
In the CBI case, where Waze, Deshmukh and two others were arrested on April 4, the former cop on Wednesday moved an application for pardon under Section 306 of IPC through his lawyer Rounak Naik.
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Waze said that after his arrest, he was interrogated thoroughly by CBI and cooperated with the probe. He said he had told interrogators that he wanted to make a voluntary confession. Following this, his statement was recorded by a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC, which has higher evidence value during a trial.
Waze also said he would make full disclosure of facts known to him, as required in law to become an approver.
In his letter to ED, Waze had similarly stated that he wants to give a voluntary disclosure. He had told both CBI and ED that it was on Deshmukh’s instructions that he collected money from restaurants and bars in Mumbai to allow them to function beyond permissible hours during the pandemic.
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