Nawab Malik objects to caste panel's clean chit to Sameer Wankhede

Mumbai, Nov 01: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Monday came down heavily on Sameer Wankhede and said he will approach President Ram Nath Kovind against the "clean chit" to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) official by the vice chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

"Yesterday, the chairman of the National Scheduled Castes Commission Arun Halder visited Sameer Wankhede's residence and him a clean chit. He should have conducted an investigation first and submitted a detailed report. We will complain about him to the President," Nawab Malik was quoted saying by news agency ANI.

Malik also tweeted a photo of alleged drug peddler Jaydeep Rana with Amruta Fadnavis and claimed that he had links with former state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Coming out in support of NCB's zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who is in the eye of a political storm following a slew of allegations against him, Arun Halder, vice chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), on Sunday said that although the officer is doing good work and making his department proud, a minister has launched a personal attack on him and his family members.

Halder also called for a government probe into finding out why the minister was attacking the officer and his family.

Malik has levelled a number of allegations against Wankhede. Among other things, he has accused the officer of forging his caste certificate and other documents to secure a job from the SC quota after clearing the UPSC examination as an IRS officer. Malik claimed that Wankhede is a Muslim by birth, although the latter has denied it.

Halder visited Wankhede's residence here on Sunday. Wankhede's wife Kranti Redkar said that the NCSC official's visit was aimed at checking her husband's original caste documents. She also said that after going through the papers, the official was convinced about Wankhede's stand.