MUMBAI, Sept. 30 -- The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday granted bail to former Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze in the Antilia explosives case and the related murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiren in 2021, observing there was not an "iota of material" to suggest that the former encounter cop had "terrorised" anyone. Waze was arrested by the NIA on March 13, 2021, for allegedly planting an explosives-laden SUV outside Mukesh Ambani's Altamount Road residence. The Mahindra Scorpio, which belonged to Hiren, contained 20 gelatine sticks and a note threatening to kill members of the Ambani family. In its bail order, the court said the prosecution had failed to establish "in exactly whose mind" Waze intended to create terror. Special judge Chakor Bawiskar observed there was "absolutely nothing on record" to infer that the Ambanis had been terrorised, noting that their day-to-day business did not appear to have been disturbed "even for a minute". The court held that even if Waze intended to create terror, it was impossible to accept that such terror had actually been created. Prima facie, it said, the former policeman's alleged acts fell short of a terrorist act as defined under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The court also noted that the NIA had not recorded statements of any Ambani family members and questioned what had prevented the agency from doing so. It termed the delay "incompetence", asking which "mahurat" the agency was waiting for to record statements of the alleged targets of the terror plot, particularly when five to six years had elapsed since the incident. The court accepted the arguments of Waze's advocate Sajal Yadav on the murder and conspiracy charges, holding that he was entitled to parity with two other former Mumbai police officers, Pradip Sharma and Sunil Mane, who had already been granted bail. The case stems from three interconnected FIRs registered in February and March 2021. On February 18, Hiren reported his Mahindra Scorpio stolen from Vikhroli. On February 25, the vehicle was found outside Antilia with the gelatine sticks and threatening letter, leading to the second FIR. Hiren went missing on March 4 after leaving his Thane home to meet a police officer at Ghodbunder Road. His body was recovered from a creek in Thane the next day, leading to an accidental death report at Mumbra police station. After Hiren's wife told the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on March 6 that he had been killed, the ADR was converted into a murder case on March 7. The Union home ministry transferred all three cases to the NIA on March 9. The agency alleged that Waze, seeking to re-establish himself as a "super cop" after returning from suspension, parked the SUV outside Antilia and contracted his former encounter squad colleague Sharma to kill Hiren after he refused to take the blame for planting the vehicle. Sharma allegedly arranged contract killers, while Mane got Hiren out of his house and handed him over to four killers provided by Sharma. The NIA has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court against Waze's bail, agency sources said. The plea is likely to come up before a division bench headed by Justice Bharati Dangre on Wednesday....