Mumbai police start inquiry into Sameer Wankhede’s complaint

Aryan Khan drugs case aftermath: Sameer Wankhede had lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik

Mumbai police have started an inquiry into a complaint lodged by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Mumbai police have started an inquiry into a complaint lodged by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. (PTI/File)

Sameer Wankhede, caught in a firestorm since last month over the drugs bust case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, had lodged a complaint with the commission against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik.

The inquiry is being conducted by assistant commissioner of police (ACP)-level officers who have recorded Sameer Wankhede’s statement.

A senior police officer confirmed the development and said Mumbai police recorded Sameer Wankhede’s statement last week and may record the officer’s statement again, if required.

The inquiry is being conducted by ACP Rekha Bhavre of Mumbai’s Borivali division. Sameer Wankhede’s complaint was lodged with the Goregaon police. But as the ACP post of the Goregaon division was vacant at that time, the ACP of Borivali division was tasked to take up the matter.

Complaints received under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are investigated by an ACP rank officer, according to legal provisions.

Sameer Wankhede has faced a series of allegations levelled against him by minister Nawab Malik since last month in connection with the drugs bust case. Malik made the allegations via press conferences and Twitter posts.

In his complaint to the SC commission, Sameer Wankhede raised objections to words such as “bogus” that Nawab Malik allegedly used while referring to his family.

Sameer Wankhede had trashed all the allegations, saying Malik targeted his family and went personal in his attacks.

The top NCB officer also visited New Delhi and met the SC commission’s chief, submitting documents related to his first marriage and subsequent divorce, in the context of some allegations made by Nawab Malik.

Following Sameer Wankhede’s complaint, the national commission had issued a notice to the Maharashtra government on October 29, asking it to submit a report within seven days.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, said, “We are looking into the complaint. All the allegations… are being looked into. Statements of other witnesses are also being recorded. If we can make out a cognisable offence… a First Information Report (FIR) would be registered and an investigation would commence. A report of the findings of the police enquiry would also be sent to the commission.”

Earlier, Yasmeen Wankhede, Sameer Wankhede’s sister, filed a complaint at Oshiwara police, seeking the registration of an FIR against Malik for allegedly defaming her.

Sameer Wankhede’s aunt Gunfabai Gangadhar Bhalerao also filed a case against Malik in Aurangabad under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Some of Sameer Wankhede’s family members and relatives have lodged complaints at Washim and Goregaon police stations in Mumbai.

The NCB’s special enquiry team (SET), which is carrying out a departmental vigilance probe, has also recorded Sameer Wankhede’s statement.

The SET was constituted after one of the “panch witnesses” of the drugs bust case, Prabhakar Sail, alleged in an affidavit that he overheard his former employer Kiran Gosavi, also a witness in the case, talking to a person about “settling the matter” for ₹18 crore and that Sameer Wankhede would need to be paid ₹8 crore.

Mumbai police also formed an SET to look into the allegations made by Sail and have recorded statements of more than 15 individuals.

The SET has summoned Shah Rukh Khan’s manager Pooja Dadlani and waiting for her to be present before the cops so that her statement could be recorded. She skipped the summons citing health issues.