The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Mumbai Police to expedite the investigation into a case under the Atrocities Act filed against NCP leader Nawab Malik by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. The court stressed the importance of concluding the probe swiftly to reach a “logical conclusion.”
Justices Revati Mohite Dere and S.G. Dige, presiding over the division bench, received assurances from the police that the investigation, initiated in 2022, would be completed within the next four weeks. The police also informed the court about the addition of two new sections under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to the case:
- Section 3(1)(q), which pertains to providing false or frivolous information to a public servant to cause injury or annoyance.
- Section 3(1)(r), related to intentionally insulting or intimidating a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
With these developments, the court set the next hearing date for January 16, 2025, and expressed its concern over the delays in the investigation. “The FIR is from 2022. We are not putting any pressure, but it needs to be taken to its logical conclusion,” the justices remarked.
Sameer Wankhede, currently serving as an additional commissioner in the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS) and belonging to the Mahar Scheduled Caste, had sought the transfer of his case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). His plea, represented by lawyer Sana Raees Khan, cited police inaction that caused significant distress and humiliation to him and his family.
In his initial complaint lodged in August 2022 at the Goregaon police station, Wankhede accused Malik of making derogatory remarks about his caste during interviews and on social media platforms. Despite the FIR being lodged, no arrest has been made nor has a chargesheet been filed against Malik, prompting Wankhede to allege police negligence in handling his case.
