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Wankhede runs a bar, violating rules: NCP’s Malik
Malik said Wankhede holds a hotel liquor license since 1997-98 and is running a bar in Navi Mumbai. It was issued when his father Dnyandev Wankhede was in the state excise department.
Continuing with his attack on Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede, Maharashtra NCP minister Nawab Malik on Friday said that the officer violated central civil services (conduct) rules 1964 by conducting business despite being in service.
Malik said Wankhede holds a hotel liquor license since 1997-98 and is running a bar in Navi Mumbai. It was issued when his father Dnyandev Wankhede was in the state excise department. “Sameer’s father was in the state excise department and he obtained a licence to run a permit room and bar in the name of Sameer. His age at that time was 17 years and 10 months. No licence is issued to a person who has not completed 18 years of age...still his father managed to get the licence in 1997-98. The licence is renewed every time in the name of Wankhede,” Malik told reporters here.
“The information was concealed while joining the central government services and afterwards because according to the central civil services (conduct) rules 1964, no central government officer can conduct a business while being in services,” Malik said.
Only in 2017, Wankhede declared that he owns the inherited property along with his father, which is a hotel but is on lease, Malik added.
However, Wankhede refuted Malik’s allegation and said he had furnished details of his properties to his department and nothing was concealed. “We have nothing to conceal. I have furnished all the details right from the properties I own and income clearly with my department since the day I joined the civil services.”
The NCP leader said he will file a complaint with the department of personnel and training (DoPT), state excise department and with all the concerned departments saying that Sameer Wankhede has no right to stay in the central government services.
A person from the Wankhede family said his father is looking after the business and not Wankhede. “The hotel was bought by Wankhede’s mother Zaheda Bano in 1995 and she included him as joint owner of the property. He was a minor then. She looked after the business till 2015 and after her death, his father was made joint owner,” said a family member, requesting anonymity.
The state minister has been making a slew of allegations against the IRS officer, ranging from forging documents to “lying” about his religion to framing people in ‘bogus’ drugs cases. In the past, Wankhede has denied all allegations made by Malik.
