NCB officer Sameer Wankhede probing the drugs case involving several Bollywood celebrities has now been threatened by NCP leader Nawab Malik whose son-in-law was earlier arrested by the NCB officer for his alleged involvement in a drug financing case.

Malik threatens NCB officer Wankhede

Speaking from the podium, Malik was heard calling both Wankhede and his father as well as entire ‘bogus people’ and even went on to insinuate that the office had ‘admitted’ to being under pressure. Furthermore, he threatened to get Wankhede removed from his job within a year and throw him in jail.

Malik threatened “he may be thinking that they got Nawab Malik’s son-in-law arrested and then he was sending me messages saying he didn’t do anything but that he was being pressurized but I know who your masters are. I won’t rest till I put you (Wankhede) in jail“.

Such intimidation and harassment from leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation have become a regular feature. However, a minister openly threatening an on-duty officer is an extremely serious matter. Malik, however, has even leveled charges of ‘extortion’ against Wankhede.

Malik said that Wankhede had been to Maldives and Dubai during the lockdown where various Bollywood people were present and that he had ‘extorted’ money from them. He further alleged that the officer was acting at the behest of the BJP to target the Maharashtra government.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire film industry was in the Maldives. What was the officer and his family doing in Maldives and Dubai? We are very clear. All this vasuli (extortion) took place in Maldives and Dubai and I will release those photos”, said Malik whose own government has been accused of vasuli.

It is worth mentioning that NCB officer Wankhede, who is the zonal director, has become the target of NCP ever since he has been involved in Bollywood entertainer Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s cruise drug case.

NCB officer to take legal action

On his part, Wankhede has clarified that he had not been to Dubai while adding that he visited the Maldives in his personal capacity after the lockdown was lifted. “I did not go to Dubai. I went to the Maldives. Not with my sister as the photo (tweeted by Nawab Malik) appears to indicate. I have gone with my children, with proper permission, legally and with my own money”, the NCB officer clarified.

“Personal attacks being made on us over the past 15 days. Attacks are being made on my deceased mother, sister and retired father. I strongly condemn this”, he added. Wankhede stated that he and his family were being slandered and attacked only because the officer was fighting for the truth and has been working against drug activity.

“I will take appropriate legal action as the minister has levelled many wrong accusations. I will take legal recourse. We have a justice system, I will take their help after taking permission from my seniors”, India Today has quoted the NCB officer as saying.

MVA government’s initmidation history

Ever since the MVA government has come to power it has pandered to Bollywood whose ‘celebrities’ are a part of the MVA PR machinery. Besides running PR programmes, the other activity that the leaders and workers of the ruling dispensation have busied themselves with are intimidating those not in agreement with them.

Here’s a timeline of the MVA intimidation tactics:

April 2020 – Thane resident Anant Karmuse was abducted on the night of April 5 by policemen who then took him to Awhad’s bungalow for supposedly putting up a post against the minister. Karmuse’s complaint states that on reaching the bungalow, he was badly beaten up by 15 to 20 goons in the presence of Awhad.

September 2020 – A 62-year-old retired Navy officer Madan Sharma, residing in Kandivali was attacked by four Shiv Sena hooligans including Shakha Pramukh Kamlesh Kadam for merely forwarding a cartoon on WhatsApp (WA).

October 2020 – In an unprecedented attack on freedom of press by Mumbai Police, Mumbai Police has filed an FIR against the entire editorial team of the Republic TV network. Top editors and all 1000 employees of the network have been booked by the Mumbai Police for a serious non-bailable offence for ‘incitement to disaffection among members of the Police Force and defaming Mumbai Police’ – under sections 500 and 34 of IPC.

February 2021 – The MVA government in Maharashtra has taken political vindictiveness to a new low with their decision to initiate an inquiry into pro-Bharat tweets by two Bharat Ratnas – Lata Mangeshkar and  Sachin Tendulkar – who had called for the nation to solve its internal issues independently, without outside interference. The tweets were made after vested interest groups working abroad had managed to get some international celebrities to misrepresent the farmers protest going on at Delhi’s borders.

May 2021 – Pradip Gavade, Secretary of BJP’s Yuva Morcha was taken into custody by the Bandra Police Cyber Cell from his Pune residence on Saturday for allegedly criticizing NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar and his grandson Rohit Pawar. Gavade has been booked under sections 295A, 500, and 505/2 of the IPC as well as IT Act 67.

August 2021 – Two BJP leaders, one of whom is a union minister, have been assaulted by Shiv Sena ‘hooligans’. Within the span of a week, Kirit Somaiya was attacked allegedly by Sena goons, and Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested in a highhanded manner by the Ratnagiri police.

September 2021 – Abhijeet Limaye, the admin of FB (Facebook) page Lakhoba Lokhande, who was taken into custody by the Pune Police Cyber cell on the basis of the complaint by NCP workers for supposedly posting ‘offensive’ comments against MVA leaders was attacked in the court premises. MVA workers blackened his face as Pune police brought him to the court and forced him to issue an apology stating he wouldn’t comment against MVA.

October 2021 – Even as MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) claimed ‘public support’ for its Maharashtra bandh call, the ground reality appears to be far from such claims of voluntary support as made by NCP’s Nawab Malik. Video evidence suggests that the ruling coalition members are resorting to ‘hooliganism’ to enforce the bandh.

These are merely some of the instances where MVA has resorted to intimidation. While on the one hand, citizens and opponents are being assaulted and harassed, on the other, misgovernance has become a regular feature with reports emerging of wastage of foodgrains meant for pandemic relief for the poor, government indulging in extortion, and ex-home minister of Maharashtra on the run among others.

In this background, it is hardly surprising that MVA minister Nawab Malik has threatened an NCB officer for simply doing his duty. Bollywood PR ‘agents’ and not promises made to the citizens appear to be the primary concern of this government.

(Featured Image Source: ANI)