Sameer Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director and current Additional Commissioner in the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services, has petitioned the Bombay High Court to transfer an atrocities case against NCP leader Nawab Malik to an independent body such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Wankhede, who belongs to the Mahar Scheduled Caste, alleges significant police inaction, claiming it has subjected him and his family to severe mental distress and humiliation.
In August 2022, Wankhede lodged a formal complaint against Malik under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Goregaon police station in suburban Mumbai. He accused Malik of making defamatory remarks based on his caste during interviews and on social media platforms.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, Malik has not been arrested, nor has a chargesheet been filed to date. In his petition filed on November 20, Wankhede expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the investigation and requested court-monitored CBI involvement. The case is expected to be heard on November 28.
The plea details a history of alleged defamation by Malik, pointing out that despite a 2021 High Court directive restraining Malik from making further defamatory remarks—stemming from a defamation suit filed by Wankhede’s father—the NCP leader continued his derogatory campaign. Wankhede asserts that Malik’s actions are politically motivated, aiming to undermine his credibility following the arrest of Malik’s son-in-law, Sameer Khan, in a drug-related case in 2021.
Wankhede’s petition further claims that Malik used his political influence to hinder the police investigation, thereby exacerbating the distress faced by his family. This alleged campaign included targeting Wankhede’s caste and questioning the validity of his caste certificate on public platforms.
This legal move comes in the backdrop of Wankhede’s high-profile involvement in the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in an alleged drug case aboard the Cordelia cruise ship in October 2021. Aryan Khan was later granted bail after three weeks by the high court.
