NCP’s Nawab Malik vs NCB’s Sameer Wankhede: Timeline of verbal duels

National Congress Party
(NCP) leader Nawab Malik, who has been arrested and questioned by the Enforcement
Directorate, raised a question on the birth certificate of National Crime NCB
zonal director  Sameer Wankhede. Malik
Monday posted a copy of Wankhede’s birth certificate on Twitter which has his
father’s name mentioned as Dawood Wankhede.

Also Read: Who is Nawab Malik?

Nawab Malik, a five-time
MLA, also alleged that Sameer Wankhede used fake documents to secure a
government job in the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) under the Scheduled Caste
(SC) category. But this is
not the first time that Nawab Malik and Sameer Wankhede indulged in a war of
words.

Here is a detailed timeline
of duels between Nawab Malik and Sameer Wankhede:

Also Read: ED arrests Nawab Malik after finding links to Dawood Ibrahim, Maha minister says ‘will fight, win’

October 6, 2021

Nawab Malik raised questions
about private individuals escorting Aryan Khan to the NCB office in Mumbai
following the October 2 raid. Malik said that one of the individuals Manish
Bhanushali is a former BJP office-bearer. Another NCB witness, KP Gosavi, was
accused of cheating in 2018.

Wankhede responded to
Malik’s statement by saying that the NCB’s actions were “within the ambit
of law”.

Also Read: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik arrested by ED; claims political vendetta

October 9, 2021

Nawab Malik alleged that
some people were released by the NCB after the raid. He further claimed that
one of the persons who was released by the NCB was a relative of BJP leader
Mohit Kamboj. Malik alleged that the top BJP leadership from Maharashtra as
well as from the Centre helped to secure this person’s release.

Also Read: Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor gets bail in Rs 466 crore fraud case

Responding to Nawab Malik’s
claims, NCB Deputy DG Gyaneshwar Singh told the media, “All allegations levelled
against NCB are baseless, motivated, afterthought and prejudice. Such
statements are based on conjecture and assumptions that are frivolous and
malicious in view of documents and records produced by NCB.”

October 12, 2021

Sameer Wankhede claimed that
he was being followed by Maharashtra Police personnel. The NCB then decided to
beef up Wankhede’s personal security cover and even provided him with a more
secure vehicle.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan makes first digital appearance after son Aryan’s bail. Watch

October
14, 2021           

When son-in-law Sameer Khan was
released on bail, Nawab Malik said that the NCB tried to pass off 200 kg of
herbal tobacco as “cannabis” (ganja). The NCP leader also produced
photographs of the NCB’s seizure, alleging that the pictures were taken inside
Wankhede’s office. The drug enforcement agency found nothing in the raids
conducted at his son-in-law Sameer Khan’s office, said Malik.

Also Read: Aryan Khan gets relief from weekly attendance at NCB Mumbai office

In reply, Sameer Wankhede
said, “We are preparing to approach the Bombay High Court against the bail
[granted to Sameer Khan].”

October 16, 2021

Nawab Malik questioned the
role of another independent witness, Fletcher Patel, enlisted in the NCB as
‘panch’ (witness) in at least three cases. The NCB leader cited social media
posts to highlight the link between Patel, a former Army officer, and Yasmeen
Wankhede, the sister of NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. In one of the
pictures, Fletcher Patel referred to Yasmeen Wankhede as “Lady Don”.
Responding to the allegations, Yasmeen Wankhede questioned Nawab Malik’s
intentions and even threatened to file a defamation case against him.

Also Read: Aryan Khan appears for questioning before NCB probe team from Delhi

October 21, 2021

Nawab Malik accused Sameer
Wankhede of ‘extortion’, saying that the IRS officer was in the Maldives around
the same time a number of Bollywood celebrities were vacationing there. The NCP
leader also shared pictures of Sameer and Yasmeen Wankhede clicked in the Maldives.  In response, Sameer Wankhede said he was in
the Maldives with his family. I had sought permission from the department
(NCB), he added.

Also Read: Witness in drugs on cruise case, Prabhakar Sail questioned for 10 hours

October 24, 2021

Prabhakar Sail, an
independent witness of the NCB in the cruise ship drug bust, alleged that Sameer
Wankhede was part of a bid to demand Rs 25 crore in exchange for the release of
Aryan Khan. Wankhede categorically denied the allegation. However, the NCB took
note of Prabhakar Sail’s affidavit and initiated an inquiry by the agency’s
vigilance department into the matter.

October 25, 2021

Nawab Malik took to Twitter
to share a copy of Sameer Wankhede’s birth certificate, alleging that he used
‘forged’ documents to secure a job in the IRS.

Also Read: Sameer Wankhede part of BJP leader’s plot to kidnap Aryan Khan: Nawab Malik

Sameer Wankhede and his
father have denied the allegations. The IRS officer also issued a statement saying,
“I would like to express that my father Sh. Dnyandev Kachruji Wankhede
retired as a senior police inspector of the State Excise Department, Pune on
30.06.2007. My father is a Hindu and my mother, Late Mrs Zaheeda, was a
Muslim.”

Also Read: Sameer Wankhede’s father files defamation case against Nawab Malik: Report

“I belong to a
composite, multi-religious and secular family in true Indian tradition and I am
proud of my heritage. Further, I married Dr Shabana Qureshi in 2006 in a civil
marriage ceremony under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Both of us divorced
mutually through Civil Court under the Special Marriage Act in the year 2016.
Later in the year 2017, I married Shiimati Kranti Dinanath Redkar,” the
statement added.