Dr. Zahid Qureshi, the father of Dr. Shabana Qureshi, first wife of NCB zonal director, Sameer Wankhede has spoken to the media and addressed the rumours of the officer’s religious background.
Contradictory to Wankhede’s claims that he has been a Hindu from birth, Qureshi, said that he knew Wankhede’s family as Muslims. In an interview with ABP news, he revealed that he knew Sameer and his family for about three to four years agreeing to give his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Claiming that the marriage was an arranged marriage, he said that the family “came to us as Muslims.”
Qureshi also recalled that at the time of the marriage, Wankhede was preparing for UPSC and also alleged that he would go to the mosque for Namaz. Claiming that they got to know of his Hindu background through media reports, he said, “We were relieved after our daughter’s divorce.”
He also claimed that the documents that Wankhede is showing to the media was his ‘pre-marriage certificate’.
“When my daughter got married, she was a Muslim and everyone knew her,” Zahid said. He also said that he did not know from which quota he got the job after passing the UPSC exam.
The doctor also said that when the question of his family’s reputation arose, he had to speak up. He also said that the family has forgotten everything after their daughter got divorced and hence, ‘will not take any action against anyone.’
Sameer is currently under the scanner after shocking extortion allegations were levelled against him and other officers of the NCB. A special team has been called in to probe the matter and record the drector’s statements on the same.
On Wednesday, the Qazi who had performed Wankhede’s first marriage, claimed the officer belonged to a Muslim family otherwise the ‘nikah’ would not have been solemnised as per Islam. The Qaazi’s claim came against the backdrop of Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik’s allegations that Wankhede was born as a Muslim, but forged documents, including a caste certificate, to show that he belonged to the Hindu SC category to get a job under quota after clearing the UPSC examination.
“I had performed the ‘nikah’ of Sameer Wankhede and Shabana Qureshi. Her father had approached me to perform the marriage in the Lokhandwala complex area of Mumbai. The groom’s name was Sameer Dawood Wankhede who married Shabana Qureshi,” Maulana Mujammil Ahmed told a news channel.
Meanwhile, Kranti Redkar, the wife of the NCB Chief held a press conference to say that her husband was born as Hindu and he never changed his religion. She also contested the claim made by the Qazi, and said, “Is that Qazi above the Constitution? He should produce papers to show Sameer Wankhede had converted (to Islam) to marry his first wife.”
“It was just a formality. Sameer (Wankhede) is born as a Hindu. He never converted. Malik is levelling allegations out of his grudge owing to the (drugs) case involving his son-in-law,” she claimed.
Redkar admitted that the signature on the 2006 nikahnama was of Sameer Wankhede’s. “He doesn’t know much about nikahnama (a written document that two Muslim partners entering into a civil union must put their signature on to legalise their marriage),” she claimed.
Meanwhile, Wankhede’s father Dnyandev Wankhede said he would approach the court against Malik.
