The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday carried out searches at the residence of former Mumbai Police cop Pradeep Sharma in the Antilia bomb scare case and the murder case of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

A team of NIA reached the residence of Pradeep Sharma in Mumbai’s Andheri (east) area on Thursday morning and initiated a search operation. According to sources, Sharma was present inside his house when the officials were conducting searches.

Pradeep Sharma, known as an encounter specialist, was questioned twice earlier by NIA officials in connection with the case. He is known to be close to former Mumbai Police cop Sachin Vaze, who has been arrested by the central agency as the main conspirator in both cases.