The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, called for a detailed report from the Mumbai police regarding the ongoing investigation of a case under the Atrocities Act against NCP leader Nawab Malik, filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede. Wankhede, currently serving as the Additional Commissioner in the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS) and belonging to the Mahar Scheduled Caste, has pushed for a transfer of his case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing police inaction.
Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan of the division bench have specifically directed the officer in charge at Goregaon police station to present the case diary at the next court hearing. The court expects to be briefed on the investigative progress within two weeks.
Wankhede’s legal motion, presented through advocate Sana Raees Khan, expresses profound mental distress and humiliation suffered by him and his family due to alleged police neglect. He lodged the initial complaint in August 2022, accusing Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, of making caste-based defamatory remarks during interviews and via social media.
To date, Malik has not been arrested, nor has a chargesheet been filed against him. Wankhede’s petition, submitted on November 20, claims there has been no substantial investigation since the complaint was registered, prompting his request for CBI intervention and court-monitored proceedings.
“The lackadaisical approach of the police has inflicted grave injustice,” the petition states, highlighting the ongoing defamation and public humiliation based on caste, exacerbated by Malik’s political influence, which is alleged to have hindered the police investigation.
The feud between Wankhede and Malik reportedly escalated following the 2021 arrest of Malik’s son-in-law, Sameer Khan, in a drug-related case by Wankhede. Following the arrest, Malik is said to have initiated a series of attacks against Wankhede and his family, challenging the authenticity of Wankhede’s caste certificate and perpetuating a campaign of defamation.
The historical context of the conflict includes a 2021 defamation suit filed by Wankhede’s father against Malik, where the court ordered Malik to cease making further derogatory comments—a directive apparently ignored, according to the latest filings.
