Sameer Wankhede owns permit room and bar: Nawab Malik

Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik also claimed the licence for the bar was procured when Sameer Wankhede was a minor. File pic/Atul Kamble

Cabinet minister Nawab Malik on Friday claimed NCB officer Sameer Wankhede owns a permit room and bar in Vashi in Navi Mumbai, the licence for which was obtained in 1997 when he was a minor, and this was illegal.

Coming out with fresh allegations against the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director, Malik said despite being in a government job, Wankhede holds a licence to operate the permit room which is against service rules. However, Wankhede dismissed Malik's claims and said he will file a defamation suit against the minister.

Speaking to reporters, Malik said, "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."

Wankhede dismissed Malik's claims and said he will file a defamation suit against the minister. File pic/Suresh Karkera

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson said there was something suspicious about the outlet's valuation disclosed by the IRS officer to the government. In 2017, Sameer Wankhede, as a government employee, had declared his assets as a part of rules, where he has mentioned the bar as a property.

Inquiry into certificate

The Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Mumbai division, has also launched an inquiry into Wankhede's ‘fake caste certificate,' which he allegedly used to secure a job. However, the Social Welfare Ministry of the Maharashtra government has not given any directions to the committee regarding this, the inquiry is being conducted after the committee received complaints from citizens.

According to sources in the Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, they have so far received two complaints from individuals identified as Manoj Sansare from the Swabhimani Republican Paksha and Ashok Kambale from the Bhim Army. The complainants have written to the committee claiming Wankhede's caste certificate is false and he procured it by forging documents to get a job under the SC category.

"The complainants have been called for the individual hearing on November 30. The committee is going to hear them first and then will call Wankhede for the hearing. We will then verify every document that has come to us from the complainants," a source said.

Birth certificate, Nikahnama as evidence

The complainants have given Wankhede's birth certificate and Nikahnama as evidence to claim that his SC certificate is false. "In such cases we have three months time to carry out a probe and an additional month if required. If it is proven that the certificate of a person is false and he/she has produced false documents, the committee has the power to cancel it with immediate effect," the source added.

The 3-member committee has informed the complainants and other concerned parties about their probe and findings."In case of forgery we write to the magistrate court about a cognizable offence and if the court finds it valid, the magistrate asks local police to register an FIR based on our probe," the source further added.

The NCB officer rejected the claims made by Malik. "The minister has made fake allegations. The establishment which I owned is not a bar, but a family restaurant and bar. Whatever he has said is fake. The photo which he has shared is not of my restaurant and I am going to file a defamation suit against him."

"My mother had purchased that restaurant and I was a partner in it. I used to study in it and also worked there as manager. After joining civil services, my father became a partner and I am mentioning about it in all my declarations to the government. I have been disclosing this property to the government since 2008 and also paying tax for that," Wankhede said.

Inputs from Agencies