Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Sunday alleged that some influential BJP leaders from Maharashtra are Lobbying for Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede at the level of Union Home Ministry for the further extension of his tenure, which came to end on December 31 last year.
Addressing a press conference, the NCP leader said, “Despite negative report against Sameer Wankhede for his wrongdoings, some influential BJP leaders are pursuing with the Union Home Ministry to change his negative report to positive and get him an extension in NCB. Let them do that. After the order is issued, we will seek information under the RTI and expose the manner in which it has been done.”
Malik alleged that that NCB zonal director Wankhede is deliberately planting some news and is also, deliberately saying that he does not want an extension. He further alleged that the NCB officer continued his wrongdoings despite a series of exposes by him and they are still trying to trap innocent people. “The NCB is still trying to trap innocent people. After October 2, I exposed many wrongdoings of NCB, but that these frauds of NCB are still going on,” he said.
He also released two audio tapes about the purported talk between the NCB officer and witnesses asking them to give their backdated signatures in one case registered in June 2021 in which the panchanama was already carried out. “I have released two audiotapes consisting of conversations between the witnesses and the NCB officers. NCB is putting pressure on the witnesses to come to the office and sign in the matter. Already panchanama (record) has been completed but now NCB is demanding backdated signature from the witnesses,” he alleged.
“I will expect the DG NCB to conduct a probe into this and take action against the concerned officers,” he added. The Maharashtra Minister said he has not been restrained by the High Court for exposing wrongdoings in the NCB in the defamation case filed by the NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede’s father Dnyandev Wankhede.
“I will not be scared but will continue to expose wrongdoings of NCB in future too,” he said. Malik further said NCB had formed the SIT and also vigilance committee to probe the wrongdoings and complaints made by him against Wankhede and other officers with regard to extortion and ransom in various cases.
“I would like to know what happened to the investigations by SIT and vigilance committee of NCB. The NCB should release their reports. No matter how much you save, we will expose such people and punish them,” he warned. Malik alleged that a PR agency has been deployed to carry out a misinformation campaign against him. “A section of press recently carried the news that NCB has moved to the High Court seeking quashing of the bail granted to my son-in-law Sameer Khan. But the papers, which were unsigned, were released by the PR agencies. Why NCB has singled out and taken this decision against Sameer Khan when there are six accused in the case? We are ready for a legal battle and we have already filed a petition with a plea to quash the NCB case against Sameer Khan,” he said.
Meanwhile, he also took strong objections against photos of women put up for online auction on apps and sought immediate action against them. “Some Muslim women, who are vocal on various issues, are being targeted. Some of them are from Maharashtra. I will write to the Home Minister and seek action against these apps,” he said.
