The father of Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede has reportedly filed a defamation suit against Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik in the Bombay high court and sought ₹1.25 crore in damages.
The NCB had arrested Aryan Khan and at least 19 others in the drugs on cruise case on the intervening night of October 2-3 and Wankhede is facing a departmental vigilance probe after an independent witness, in this case, alleged an extortion bid by those involved in the investigation.
Meanwhile, the NCB on Friday said a total of six cases, including the drugs on cruise case from NCB Mumbai Zonal Unit, will now be taken over by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising officers from the Operations Branch of NCB Headquarters in New Delhi.
“No officer or officers have been REMOVED from their present roles and they will continue to assist the Operations Branch investigation as required until any specific orders are issued to the contrary. It is reiterated that the NCB functions across India as a single integrated agency,” it said.
Malik has levelled several allegations against Wankhede, Among the several charges that the cabinet minister has brought against the NCB officer are extortion and fraudulent use of caste card to obtain his job.
Wankhede had earlier moved the High Court , stating that he was being personally attacked by the Maharashtra government. The court had, however, disposed of his petition for an arrest shield after the state told the bench that its inquiry was still at a preliminary stage and it would give the officer a three-day notice before taking coercive action against him.
