Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of NCB’s Mumbai unit, spoke exclusively to India Today and said his family was being attacked by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik and he would take legal recourse in the matter.
Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of NCB’s Mumbai unit, spoke exclusively to India Today and said his family was being attacked by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik and he would take legal recourse in the matter.
This comes a few hours after Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged that Sameer Wankhede was in Maldives during the pandemic when many Bollywood celebrities were vacationing there as well. He alleged that ‘vasuli’ (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai and said he even has photographs to establish the same.
In response, Sameer Wankhede said, “The minister is saying wrong things. It is an absolute lie. I went to Maldives with my children for a vacation. I took proper permission from the competent authority for the same. I didn’t meet anyone and I don’t want to give any further clarification on these kinds of accusations. In December, I was in Mumbai, at the time when he said I was in Dubai. This can be investigated.”
He added, “My family is continuously being attacked — from my sister to my father. This is only because I am fighting for the truth and against drug activity. I will take appropriate legal action as the minister has levelled many wrong accusations. I will take legal recourse. We have a justice system, I will take their help after taking permission from my seniors.”
WHAT DID NAWAB MALIK SAY?
Earlier on Thursday, NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik said, “Attempts were made to implicate certain people in false cases. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire film industry was in Maldives. What was the officer [Sameer Wankhede] and his family doing in Maldives and Dubai? This has to be clarified by Sameer Wankhede. We demand that he clarify whether he was in Dubai.”
He added, “Was his family in Maldives when the entire film industry was there? What was the reason behind them going there? We are very clear. All this vasuli [extortion] took place in Maldives and Dubai and I will release those photos.”
Nawab Malik demanded that the WhatsApp chats of Sameer Wankhede be checked, saying that it will reveal how ‘bogus’ NCB cases are.
Since the Mumbai cruise drugs case came to light, Nawab Malik has been claiming that the alleged recovery of banned drugs from the ship by the NCB was “fake” and arrests were made just on the basis of WhatsApp chats. Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is one of the twenty people arrested in the case.
(With inputs from PTI)
