Court's notice to cops in case filed by Sameer Wankhede's sister against Nawab Malik

Mumbai’s Bandra Magistrate Court on Friday issued a show-cause notice to the Amboli Police for failing to comply with its order in a case filed by Yasmeen Wankhede against NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Nawab Malik.

The court had earlier, on January 20, directed the Amboli Police to conduct an inquiry into a criminal complaint of defamation and stalking lodged by Yasmeen Wankhede. Yasmeen is the elder sister of IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, the former Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai.

The case stems from a long-standing dispute between Malik and Sameer Wankhede that began in January 2021. That month, Wankhede’s team arrested Malik’s son-in-law for alleged involvement in a drug-related business.

In retaliation, Malik launched a public campaign targeting Sameer Wankhede. He made personal allegations related to Wankhede’s religion, marital life, and educational background. During the peak of the Malik-Wankhede row, Malik also made remarks about Yasmeen Wankhede, which led her to file the defamation and stalking complaint.

The feud further intensified in October 2021 when Wankhede’s NCB team arrested actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, in a high-profile drugs case. Malik criticised the investigation on social media, pointing out flaws in the case. Eventually, the NCB did not file a chargesheet against Aryan Khan.

The directive was issued under Section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which empowers the magistrate to order an investigation before proceeding with a complaint.

Despite the court's order, the Amboli Police failed to submit the investigation report twice over the past six months. Advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh, representing Yasmeen Wankhede, informed the court that the police had yet to file the required report, prompting the magistrate to issue a show-cause notice. The Amboli Police must now respond by July 28.

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