Ample proof available of the dual identities of Sameer Wankhede: Nawab Malik to HC

Mumbai Ample proof is available of the dual identities adopted by Dnyandev Wankhede and his son Sameer Wankhede, Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for their personal benefit, NCP leader Nawab Malik has claimed in his affidavit in reply to the defamation suit filed by Dnyandev Wankhede before the Bombay high court.

Malik, in his affidavit, stated that the tweets were intended to only expose the illegalities committed by Sameer Wankhede while securing a job through the reserved category quota and misusing his position in the NCB.

The affidavit added that there was no malice intended on his part while making revelations on social media and the suit was intended to curtail his fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

Referring to the maintainability of the suit, Malik has stated that the reliefs sought against him by Dnyandev Wankhede are only intended to suppress the facts which he has been exposing about Sameer Wankhede. The affidavit states that the reliefs sought cannot be granted as they are intended to benefit persons who are not party to the suit.

“All the material/evidence published by me shows the illegal manner in which Mr Sameer Wankhede has acquired his job and also the illegalities in the manner in which he has discharged his duties as a public official,” the affidavit states.

Stating that the claim by Dnyandev Wankhede in the suit that he (Malik) had started the slur campaign against Sameer Wankhede after his son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested by the NCB and released after being kept behind bars for almost eight months was false, he added that he has been questioning the working of NCB even before his son-in-law was arrested. Malik has stated that he had made statements as the national spokesperson of the NCP in November 2020 against the action being taken by NCB against consumers of drugs and not tracking down and arresting drug traffickers/suppliers for the sake of publicity.

With regards to the posting of the birth certificate, school leaving certificates and nikahnama of Sameer Wankhede online, Malik’s affidavit states, “This material was published by me after reasonably verifying the truth of the same and believing the same to be true. The material available on record shows that Mr Sameer Wankhede is leading a dual life i.e. as a Muslim and as a Hindu. He has illegally obtained his job under ‘Scheduled Caste’ (SC) category thereby depriving a genuine SC candidate of the opportunity of employment and livelihood by suppressing that he was born a Muslim.”

The affidavit while referring to the illegalities committed by Sameer Wankhede in the course of his duty as NCB zonal director states that during raids the officer has given a complete go by to the procedure and indulged in activities which are likely to compromise the investigations carried out under his charge. The affidavit states that he (Malik) has posted evidence to show that the pancha Mr Fletcher Patel called by Wankhede during raids was known to him and his family.

The affidavit states that the revelation by Prabhakar Sail, a witness in the Aryan Khan case wherein he has alleged that Wankhede had made him sign 10 blank pages as a panch witness shows that Sameer Wankhede has been resorting to illegal procedures in the course of discharging his duties.

Malik has further reiterated his stand that both Dnyandev Wankhede and his son have been involved in illegal activities by referring to the liquor licence issued to a hotel in Vashi in the name of Sameer Wankhede in 1997. The affidavit states that the licence was issued to Sameer by the excise department even though he was only 17 years old at the time and Dnyandev was also working as an officer in the said department.

The affidavit states that the revelations made by him (Malik) regarding the illegalities by Sameer Wankhede has helped the appropriate agencies/authorities to initiate appropriate steps against the erring public servant. The affidavit states that the transfer of six cases being investigated by Sameer to NCB vigilance was an example of the effect of his revelations.

The defamation suit by Dnyandev Wankhede is expected to come up for rehearing on his interim plea before a single judge bench in due course.