Defamation suit: Bombay HC asks Nawab Malik to file reply on Wankhede's plea , adjourns hearing

Dnyandev Kachruji Wankhede, father of the NCB's Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, has filed a defamation suit against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in the high court.

The Bombay high court on Monday adjourned to November 10 the hearing on a defamation suit filed by Dnyandev Kachruji Wankhede, father of the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik.

The animosity between Nawab Malik and Sameer Wankhede can be traced back to the arrest of Nawab Malik's son-in-law.

The court also asked the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader to file a reply on Wankhede's plea by Tuesday.

The senior NCB officer’s father has filed the ₹1.25-crore defamation suit against Malik for posting what he termed as “derogatory comments on social media against my son and family”. He also sought a permanent injunction restraining Malik and others “acting under his instructions” from publishing, writing or speaking in the media about the family.

Malik has levelled several serious allegations against Wankhede, including extortion and fraudulent use of caste card to obtain his job. The minister has accused the NCB officer of indulging in an extortion attempt in the drugs-on-cruise case in which Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son is an accused and jailed for more than 20 days.

He has also alleged that the sensational drugs bust case off the Goa-bound cruise was a case of kidnapping and ransom and Wankhede had partnered with BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya in demanding the ransom.

On Monday, Malik continued his tirade against Wankhede alleging that the latter’s sister-in-law was involved in drugs business. Soon after, Wankhede responded saying he had nothing to do with the case.