News Analysis India

Tag: Sameer Wankhede

  • ‘Friendship between Fadnavis and Wankhede helped criminals to flourish in Maharashtra’: Nawab Malik

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Wednesday accused former state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of sweeping under the carpet a case of seized fake notes and resorting to “criminalisation of politics” by appointing people with criminal background on government boards.

    Continuing his tirade against the leader of the opposition, Malik in a press conference said there are “more bombs to be dropped” in coming days and he will spill the beans on this issue against the BJP.

    There was no immediate reaction from BJP leader Fadnavis on the fresh charges levelled by Malik.

    Malik on Tuesday said he would drop a “hydrogen bomb” and reveal Fadnavis’ alleged underworld links.

    Fadnavis had on Tuesday alleged a dubious land deal involving Malik, his family members and two convicts of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case over a decade ago, a charge refuted by the minister.

    On Wednesday, the NCP minister said while fake notes were seized in other states after demonetisation on November 8 2016, there was not a single such instance in Maharashtra.

    At that time Fadnavis was the chief minister of the state.

    Malik said on October 8, 2017, the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized fake notes worth Rs 14.56 crore from the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

    “But Devendra Fadnavis helped sweep the case under the carpet. The seized amount was later shown with a value of Rs 8.8 lakhs,” Malik alleged, questioning why the case was not handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

    “Incidentally, Sameer Wankhade (the Narcotics Control Bureau officer against whom Malik has levelled several serious allegations) was the DRI’s joint director at that time,” he added.

    Malik further said one Imran Alam Sheikh was arrested in this case.

    Later, his brother Haji Arfat Sheikh was made the chairman of the state minority commission, the minister claimed.

    He alleged that Fadnavis appointed people with criminal background on several state boards.

    He said one Munna Yadav from Nagpur was made the chairman of the Maharashtra Construction Workers Welfare Board despite criminal charges like murder registered against him.

    Malik also alleged that during Fadnavis sheltered an individual whose second wife was a Bangladeshi.

    When the Malad police tried investigating the case, they was pressured.

    “Fadnavis resorted to criminalisation of politics by appointing people with criminal background on government posts,” the minister alleged.

    Malik and Fadnavis have been targeting each other with charges of underworld links.

    Both have denied any links with the underworld.

    On Tuesday, Fadnavis said Malik and his family members were part of a company which purchased land in Kurla area of Mumbai at a very low rate by making some fictitious documents.

    Malik had last week sought to link the BJP with an alleged narcotics dealer by tweeting the latter’s photograph with the former chief minister and his wife Amruta Fadnavis.

    The former CM had then said he will make revelations about Malik’s “underworld links” after Diwali and also share the “documents and proofs” of the same with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar.

  • Sameer Wankhede’s wife, father meet governor Koshyari, submit complaint against Malik

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede’s wife Kranti Redkar and father Dnyandev Wankhede on Tuesday met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and submitted a complaint against state minister Nawab Malik.

    Speaking to reporters afterwards, Redkar, a former actor, said, “I met governor Koshyari with my father-in-law Dnyandev Wankhede and sister-in-law Yasmeen Wankhede.

    “We submitted a complaint about minister Nawab Malik’s constant attacks on us,” she said.

    They were “humble people” but “family reputation is at stake due to constant attacks,” she added.

    Asked about Koshyari’s response, Redkar said, “He asked us to observe restraint and have patience, saying that truth shall prevail. We got a lot of positivity after meeting him.”

    Malik, the state minority development minister, has levelled several allegations against Sameer Wankhede following the Narcotics Control Bureau’s alleged drug bust on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast during which actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was arrested.

    The NCP leader alleged that Wankhede forged his birth certificate to get government job in the Scheduled Castes quota and concealed that he was born into a Muslim family.

    Malik also accused him of running an extortion racket by falsely implicating people in drug cases.

    Wankhede has denied all charges.

    His father has also filed a defamation case against Malik in the Bombay High Court.

  • Sameer Wankhede father’s defamation suit an attempt to hide illegalities: Nawab Malik to Bombay HC

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court the defamation suit filed against him by Dhyandev Wankhede, father of NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede, was only an attempt to cover-up the “illegalities” committed by the IRS officer and claimed none of his statements against them was false.

    Malik submitted an affidavit in the HC in response to the defamation suit filed by Dhyandev Wankhede, seeking damages to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore and also an order restraining the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from making any false or incorrect statements against the Wankhede family that would defame or harm their reputation.

    However, the minister in his affidavit said that none of the statements made by him was incorrect and that the evidence produced by him has in fact helped the government machinery take corrective steps against Sameer Wankhede, who had been handling some high-profile drugs case till recently, including the one in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan is an accused.

    “Sameer Wankhede is facing vigilance inquiry and the Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has transferred a total of six cases from its Mumbai unit headed by zonal director Sameer Wankhede to its unit in Delhi,” the affidavit said.

    “Thus, initiation of action against Sameer Wankhede shows the authenticity of evidence produced by the defendant (Malik),” the NCP leader said, adding being a public representative he was only trying to expose the “illegalities” committed by Sameer Wankhede, a civil servant.

    “The plaintiff (Dhyandev Wankhede), by filing the present suit, is trying to curtail the freedom of expression granted to the defendant under Article 19 of the Constitution of India, which the defendant uses for public good,” the affidavit said.

    It added that the defamation suit was nothing but an attempt to cover up the “illegalities” committed by the plaintiff Dhyandev Wankhede’s son Sameer Wankhede. Malik sought dismissal of the defamation suit and said it was not maintainable as the plaintiff was seeking reliefs not just for himself but also his family members.

    The NCP leader, who has levelled a series of allegations against Sameer Wankhede – ranging from forgery to lying about his religion – said the plaintiff cannot file a representative suit on behalf of his family members. “The family members of the plaintiff have not initiated any legal proceedings controverting the evidence produced by the defendant (Malik),” the affidavit said.

    The 62-year-old politician said he has not made any false statements and has produced documentary evidence to support his claims. “In the circumstances, it is humbly submitted that the authenticity and admissibility of the evidence produced by the defendant can be decided only at the stage of trial,” the affidavit said.

    It added that Dhyandev Wankhede has failed to produce any documentary evidence in support his claims in the suit that the statements made by Malik are incorrect. “I (Malik) have produced the birth certificate of Sameer Wankhede, son of the plaintiff to show that Sameer Wankhede is a Muslim by birth and that he has secured a government job by falsely claiming to be from a Scheduled Caste,” the affidavit said.

    It added that as per the birth certificate, which has been issued by the municipal corporation, the name of Sameer Wankhede’s father is shown as Dawood Wankhede and religious identity as Muslim. “I say that if the said birth certificate issued by the municipal corporation is false then it is for the plaintiff or Sameer Wankhede to take corrective steps and pursue it with the civic authorities. If the birth certificate is false then the plaintiff should have produced the correct birth certificate,” the affidavit said.

    It further said the plaintiff has failed to show as to how the statements made by Malik were derogatory or defamatory. The minister further said several other persons, including a witness in the drugs-on-cruise case, have made allegations of attempts of extortion against Sameer Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer.

    A vacation bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar is scheduled to hear the suit on Wednesday (November 10).

    The suit has sought an order declaring Malik’s statements as defamatory in nature and a permanent injunction restraining the NCP leader from publishing or making statements before the media, including his social media accounts.

    The suit has stated that the statements by Malik that Wankhede is a Muslim amounted to questioning the religious beliefs of the family by disputing they are not Hindus. It claimed that Malik’s statements caused an irreparable loss, damage, harm, prejudice to the name, character, reputation and societal image of the Wankhede family.

    The suit also sought directions to the state minister to take back all defamatory statements made by him so far and also to delete his tweets posted against the plaintiff and his family members. Sameer Wankhede had last month led a raid on a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast after which the NCB claimed to have seized drugs onboard.

    Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan and 19 others were later arrested in connection with the cruise drugs case. Some of the accused, including Aryan Khan, are currently out on bail. Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled a string of allegations against the IRS officer, who has denied his charges.

  • ‘Nawab Malik made false comments against us’: Sameer Wankhede’s father files complaint

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede’s father Dhyandev Wankhede has filed a police complaint here against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik for allegedly making “false and derogatory” remarks against him and his family members and their caste, an official said on Tuesday.

    The senior Wankhede approached the Oshiwara division’s assistant commissioner of police on Monday with his written complaint, demanding that an FIR be registered against the minister under the SC/ST Act, he said.

    The complainant alleged that NCP leader Malik made “false and derogatory” remarks against him and his family members as well as their caste on various media platforms.

    “We belong to ‘Mahar’ community which comes under the Scheduled Caste category,” he mentioned in the complaint.

    He demanded that an FIR be registered against the minister under provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including 503 (criminal intimidation).

    He further alleged that Malik, owing to his personal grudge, went to the extent of “stalking” his daughter Yasmeen online and illegally used her personal photographs from her social media accounts like Instagram, Facebook, etc and circulated them in print and electronic media.

    The complainant also said the minister made an unfounded allegation against his daughter and family members of being involved in extortion while they were in Maldives.

    Now, the minister is giving “direct threats” and using “illegal tactics” to hinder the investigation into the case involving his son-in-law (Sameer Khan) where he is likely to convicted, the senior Wankhede alleged.

    Malik’s son-in-law was arrested in January this year in an alleged drugs case and granted bail in September.

    The complainant claimed Malik was using all his powers against him and his family members.

    Dhyandev Wankhede also said that to prove his claims, he has the footage and articles put out by the minister on various media platforms.

    An official from the assistant commissioner of police’s confirmed that they have received Dhyandev Wankhede’s complaint, and said further investigation is underway.

    The senior Wankhede has also filed a defamation suit against Malik, seeking damages to the tune of Rs 1.

    25 crore from the minister for allegedly making defamatory comments against his son, Sameer Wankhede and family through press conferences and via social media.

    The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Malik to submit an affidavit in response to the defamation suit.

    , An NCB team led by Sameer Wankhede last month conducted a raid on a cruise ship and claimed to have seized drugs onboard.

    Later, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan and 19 others were arrested in connection with the cruise drugs case.

    Malik has termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled a string of allegations against Sameer Wankhede, including that he used forged documents to secure government job.

    The NCB official has denied the allegations levelled against him.

  • High Court seeks Nawab Malik’s response on defamation suit filed by NCB officer Sameer Wankhede’s father

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik to submit an affidavit in response to a defamation suit filed by Dhyandev Wankhede, the father of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    A vacation bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar asked Malik to file his affidavit by Tuesday, and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

    “You (Malik) file your reply by tomorrow. If you can reply on Twitter, you can reply here also,” Justice Jamdar said, without passing any order restraining Malik from making any further statements against the plaintiff (Dhyandev Wankhede).

    Advocate Arshad Shaikh, appearing for Dhyandev Wankhede, told the court that everyday some false and defamatory statement is being made by the defendant (Malik) which then leads to further comments on social media that are further defamatory.

    “Just this morning, the defendant has posted a tweet about Sameer Wankhede’s sister-in-law,” Shaikh argued, adding that at least till the matter is heard, the court should either direct Malik or he should himself restrain from making any further statements.

    Malik’s advocate Atul Damle, while seeking time to file an affidavit to the suit, told the court that the plaintiff cannot speak on behalf of his adult children and also cannot attribute to Malik what other persons have commented on social media.

    Dhyandev Wankhede, in his suit, has sought damages to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore from Malik for allegedly making defamatory comments against his son Sameer Wankhede and family through press conferences and via social media.

    The suit has sought an order declaring Malik’s statements as defamatory in nature and a permanent injunction restraining the NCP leader from publishing or making statements before the media, including his social media accounts.

    The suit stated that the statements by Malik that Wankhede is a Muslim amounted to questioning the religious beliefs of the family by disputing that they are not Hindus.

    It claimed that Malik’s statements caused an irreparable loss, damage, harm, prejudice to the name, character, reputation and societal image of Wankhede and his family.

    The suit also sought directions to Malik to take back all defamatory statements made by him so far and also to delete all his tweets posted against the plaintiff and his family members.

    Sameer Wankhede had last month led a raid on a cruise ship and the NCB claimed to have seized drugs onboard.

    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan and 19 others were later arrested in connection with the cruise drugs case.

    Malik has repeatedly termed the cruise drugs case as “fake” and levelled a string of allegations against the NCB officer.

  • Drugs case: NCB team visits Cordelia cruise ship with Sameer Wankhede, to question key witness Prabhakar Sail

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: With the Central Narcotics Control Bureau team taking over the Mumbai cruise ship raid case, the SIT team visited the Cordelia cruise ship on which an alleged rave party was held on October 2, informed the NCB on Monday.

    According to NCB, the SIT team headed by Deputy Director-General Sanjay Kumar Singh Sanjay Singh visited the Cordelia Cruise ship docked at Mumbai International Cruise Terminal on Saturday, accompanied by NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede and his team.

    Wankhede also handed over the documents and other confiscated items to Singh. Singh and Wankhede were present on the cruise for 2 hours.

    Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Deputy Director-General Gyaneshwar Singh, who is leading a vigilance team of the agency, left for Mumbai from Delhi airport on Monday.

    The vigilance team had summoned Prabhakar Sail, a witness in the drugs-on-cruise case, to record his statement in the alleged payoff in the case today. The agency asked Sail to appear before it at 2 pm on Monday, said the NCB.

    Gyaneshwar Singh is heading the Special Enquiry Team (SET) which has been constituted to probe allegations against NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede in the drugs-on-cruise case.

    Sail, who is the personal bodyguard of Kiran Gosavi and also a witness in the Mumbai cruise ship raid case, levelled allegations of corruption against Gosavi and Sameer Wankhede.

    Meanwhile, Aryan Khan, who was recently granted bail in the drugs-on-cruise case was summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for questioning on Sunday, however, he could not appear citing fever.

    An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals have been arrested so far in the case.

    Speaking to media persons, Singh said, “I will not take names but all those who are needed will be called (for questioning). I expect Prabhakar Sail to come today (for questioning).”

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB vigilance team summons independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Delhi vigilance team, probing the pay-off allegations in the Cordelia cruise drugs case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is an accused, has summoned independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday for recording his statement, an official said on Sunday.

    He said the NCB issued summons to Sail on Sunday.

    He has been directed to appear before the vigilance team at 2 PM on Monday.

    The official said the vigilance team comprising seven officers will reach Mumbai on Monday morning from Delhi.

    The team will record the statement of Sail at the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) mess in suburban Bandra.

    Sail, who claims to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, had last month claimed in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discussing a Rs 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB.

    Sail claimed that Gosavi had said that Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    Sail’s allegations had prompted the NCB to order a vigilance inquiry against NCB officials and others. Wankhede had denied the allegations against him.

    Last month, the vigilance team, headed by NCB Deputy Director General (northern region) Gyaneshwar Singh, had come to Mumbai to probe the allegations of extortion but failed to record Sail’s statement. Singh is also the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of the federal anti-narcotics agency.

    Before leaving for Delhi, the team had recorded statements of eight persons, including Wankhede, and collected some important documents and recordings related to the cruise drugs case, an official had said.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi NCB SIT, which recently took over the investigation into the cruise drugs case, visited the Cordelia cruise ship where the party was organised on October 2.

    The cruise ship is docked at the Mumbai cruise terminal.

    The SIT is headed by the senior IPS officer and DDG Operations at NCB headquarters, Sanjay Singh.

  • Cruise drugs case: NCB vigilance team summonses independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Delhi vigilance team, probing the pay-off allegations in the Cordelia cruise drugs case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is an accused, has summoned independent witness Prabhakar Sail on Monday for recording his statement, an official said on Sunday.

    He said the NCB issued summons to Sail on Sunday.

    He has been directed to appear before the vigilance team at 2 PM on Monday.

    The official said the vigilance team comprising seven officers will reach Mumbai on Monday morning from Delhi.

    The team will record the statement of Sail at the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) mess in suburban Bandra.

    Sail, who claims to be the bodyguard of NCB witness K P Gosavi, had last month claimed in an affidavit that he had heard Gosavi discussing a Rs 25 crore pay-off deal after Aryan Khan was arrested by the NCB.

    Sail claimed that Gosavi had said that Rs 8 crore of the deal money was to be given to NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

    Sail’s allegations had prompted the NCB to order a vigilance inquiry against NCB officials and others. Wankhede had denied the allegations against him.

    Last month, the vigilance team, headed by NCB Deputy Director General (northern region) Gyaneshwar Singh, had come to Mumbai to probe the allegations of extortion but failed to record Sail’s statement. Singh is also the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of the federal anti-narcotics agency.

    Before leaving for Delhi, the team had recorded statements of eight persons, including Wankhede, and collected some important documents and recordings related to the cruise drugs case, an official had said.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi NCB SIT, which recently took over the investigation into the cruise drugs case, visited the Cordelia cruise ship where the party was organised on October 2.

    The cruise ship is docked at the Mumbai cruise terminal.

    The SIT is headed by the senior IPS officer and DDG Operations at NCB headquarters, Sanjay Singh.

  • Aryan Khan cruise drugs case: Alleged middle man Sunil Patil names BJP leader as master-mind 

    By Express News Service

    MAHARASHTRA: Sunil Patil, the alleged middle man in the cruise drugs case involving Aryan Khan, has claimed that he has no connection with Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer, Sameer Wankhede and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

    BJP leader Mohit Kamboj had earlier alleged that the Aryan Khan’s drug case master-mind is Sunil Patil who is connected with NCP. Sunil Patil clarified that he had no connection with Aryan Khan’s case and NCP.

    “The real master-mind behind Aryan Khan case is BJP leader Manish Bhanushali, Dhiraj Bhanushali, Niraj Yadav, and Sam Desouza. The tip-off of the rave party at the cruise ship was given by Niraj Yadav from Madhya Pradesh who is close to senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya. When this case happened, I was not in Mumbai. I was away in Ahmedabad for my personal work,” Sunil Patil claimed.

    Patil also alleged that Manish Bhanushali who is a witness in the Aryan Khan case threatened him in a Delhi hotel.

    “I was in Ahmedabad, but Manish Bhanushali and Dhiraj Bhanushali called me to Delhi and pressurized that I should record the video message in favour of NCB. When I refused to do so, they beat me up badly. They even told me that they have big connections which would help them come out from this crisis,” Patil alleged.

    Sunil Patil further alleged, “Since I left the NCP in 2016, I was working separately. Initially, Sam Desouza shared the tip of the rave party on Cruise with me and told me to ask the Maharashtra government to conduct the raid but I refused saying he has no relation with anyone in this regard.”

    Patil also said that he is ready to record his statement before the police and any investigation agency. Patil is a resident of Dhule.

  • Sameer Wankhede’s father files defamation suit against Nawab Malik

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Dnyandev Wankhede, the father of NCB Mumbai Zonal director Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik in the Bombay High Court on Sunday.

    Maharashtra minority affairs minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik have slammed Mohit Kamboj by calling him the mastermind and partner of Sameer Wankhede in demanding ransom.

    Earlier, Malik had alleged that Wankhede was born a Muslim but he forged documents, including a caste certificate, to pass off as a Scheduled Caste (SC) person to get recruitment under quota after clearing the UPSC exams.

    An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2. A total of 20 people, including two Nigerian nationals and Aryan Khan, have been arrested so far in the case.