Shiv Sena, NCP pan national body’s clean chit for Sameer Wankhede

NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede with his wife Kranti Redkar at their Goregaon home on Sunday

AMID allegations that NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede fudged his caste certificate, a top official from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes met the officer's family on Sunday. In an apparent clean chit, NCSC Vice President Arun Haldar said no officer will ever provide fake documents to the Commission because one can lose the job if found guilty. State minister Nawab Malik rejected Haldar's claims, calling him a BJP man.

Speaking to mid-day, Haldar said, "He [Wankhede] is an honest officer and has been doing his job with sincerity and integrity for the last 15 years. He has worked with IB as well. Can anyone become an IB officer by producing a fake certificate? One should first investigate why Mr Malik is targeting an officer who is doing his best to clear the drug menace in the city. He definitely has some malafide intentions."

Wankhede's father (in black T-shirt) shows documents to the NCSC official

Wankhede's caste certificate became a raging debate after Malik alleged that he was a born Muslim but used an SC certificate to get the IRS job and snatched the right of a Dalit. Malik shared what he said was Wankhede's birth certificate that shows the father's name as Dawood Wankhede. However, the document has corrections and on the right side of it, the father's name has been mentioned as Dnyandev Wankhede. There is no clarification on the correction.

When mid-day asked Haldar about the correction, he said, "Why we are talking about it after 15 years of his service? He has worked with various agencies including NIA and IB, why no one verified it at that time? In my opinion, the certificate is genuine and he is from the Dalit community. Mr Malik must be jealous and can't digest that a Dalit man has become such a big officer."

The NCSC has also sought a report from the state social welfare ministry. "The report is awaited. If the report confirms that his certificate is genuine then Mr Malik has to answer why he harassed a Dalit family. But if the report confirms that the certificate is invalid, we will do our own inquiry because I am getting reports that a lot of people are working to ensure that his caste certificate is invalid," said Haldar.

Wankhede first submitted his documents to Haldar at NCSC's Mumbai office in Andheri after which Haldar spoke to the press. Haldar said Malik has only spoken to the media. "Malik has made all allegations on TV and has never written to us about it. This clearly establishes that he just wanted to harass Wankhede's family." State minister Malik rejected Haldar's claims. "I know the SC commission official is BJP man but he is in a constitutional post so he should respect that. How can he visit the house of a person whose caste certificate is under scanner? And how come he is giving a clean chit without any probe?" said Malik.

The minister became particularly aggressive after an NCB team led by Wankheded raided a Goa-bound cruise liner on October 2 and arrested actor Shah Rukh Khan's 23-year-old son Aryan Khan. Ever since Malik has levelled several allegations against the officer. Aryan Khan walked out on bail on October 30.

Wankhede's wife Kranti Redkar (in yellow) and his father (extreme left) meet RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale in Bandra on Sunday

Over Wankhede's religion, Malik said, "I have never said that Wankhede converted to Islam because he is a born Muslim. His father converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman. We will soon write to the social welfare ministry of the state government for a proper inquiry and there are other people as well who have complained to the police."

Maharashtra's Social Justice and Special Assistant Minister Dhananjay Munde said his department will conduct a probe once they receive a complaint through the official channel. Sources, however, said that the ministry has already started a probe after Malik's press conference on Wankhede's caste certificate.

Sena slams clean chit, too

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also crticised Haldar for talking in favour of Wankhede. She said, "I don't understand how a clean chit is given to him [Wankhede] without any probe? The question is not that he converted but he is a born Muslim going by his birth certificate shared by cabinet minister Nawab Malik. This is grave injustice to those who deserve this post under SC category."