Dalit Organisation Moves NCSC Against Nawab Malik For Targeting Sameer Wankhede

Dalit Positive Movement, a Kanpur based Dalit rights organisation, has approached the National Commission For Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik for allegedly targeting IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, who is presently working as the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai.

Sameer Wankhede is heading the investigation into the Cruise Ship Drug Case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and other celebrities.

Nawab Malik had shared images of what he claimed were Wankhede's Nikahnama and birth certificate, alleging that Wahkhede had forged documents to obtain his job as a Scheduled Caste candidate.

Nawab Malik had claimed that Sameer Wankhede's father is a Muslim and does not belong to Scheduled Caste as claimed by Wankhede.

Sameer Wankhede had issued a press release stating that his father Dnyandev Kachruji Wankhede, who retired as Senior Police Inspector of State Excise Department, Pune in 2007, is a Hindu and that his mother Late Zaheeda was a Muslim.

In its complaint before the NCSC as well as the Mumbai Police Commissioner, the group has alleged that the Maharashtra Minister is "publicly shaming a decorated officer just because he belongs to the Dalit community".

The complaint also states that Malik has "malafide intent and vitriolic casteist contempt towards Mr. Sameer Wankhede" and is misusing his constitutional power to attack the officer. The group has sought registration of an FIR against Malik under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 against the Minister.

Incidentally, the son-in-law of Nawab Malik is involved in an NDPS Act case that is being investigated by the NCB, and is currently on bail.

A PIL has been filed before the Bombay High Court by one Kausar Ali, who claims to be a priest and a person working for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, seeking to restrain Nawab Malik from making comments to demoralize the NCB and Wankhede. (read report)