Atrocities case: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede moves HC seeking independent probe

Sameer Wankhede former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has urged the Bombay High Court to transfer the probe into an atrocities case against NCP leader Nawab Malik to an independent agency like the CBI reported PTIWankhede an additional commissioner in the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services and a member of the Mahar Scheduled Caste alleged in his plea that police inaction in the matter has caused him and his family significant mental distress and humiliation reported PTIThe Indian Revenue Services IRS officer had in August 2022 lodged a complaint with the suburban Goregaon police against Malik under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act reported PTIThe complaint alleged that Malik had during interviews and on social media made defamatory remarks against Wankhede and his family members based on his casteMalik has neither been arrested in the atrocities case nor has the chargesheet been filed till dateIn his petition filed on November 20 in HC Wankhede claimed that the police have not probed the matter yet He has sought the atrocities case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI reported PTIThe IRS officer also sought for the probe to be monitored by the courtThe petition is likely to be taken up for hearing on November 28 reported PTIThe lackadaisical approach of the police machinery has caused grave injustice to the pain and mental distress suffered by the petitioner Wankhede and his family members on being humiliated and defamed on the basis of their caste and race the plea said reported PTIIt added that in 2021 Wankhedes father had filed a defamation suit in HC against Malik and the court had then directed the leader from the NCP headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to desist from making any further remarksDespite the restraining order Malik continued to make slanderous and defamatory comments against Wankhede and his family members the petition claimedThe respondent no 2 Malik wields political power and has hence influenced the police machinery and thereby tampering with the probe in the case it added reported PTIWankhede claimed that Malik made the remarks after he arrested his soninlaw Sameer Khan in a drug case in 2021The IRS officer alleged that after Sameer Khans arrest Malik launched a sustained campaign to defame and humiliate him and his family on social media and television targeting their caste and questioning the authenticity of Wankhedes caste certificate reported PTIEarlier the officer had also filed a complaint with the Scheduled Caste Commission in October 2021 seeking action against MalikWankhede had come under the spotlight after his then NCB team arrested actor Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan following an alleged drug seizure on board the Cordelia cruise ship in Mumbai in October 2021 Aryan was granted bail by the high court after three weeksWith inputs from PTI