NCP leader Nawab Malik is a minister in Maharashtra's Shiv-Sena led coalition government (File)
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik - seemingly inexorable in his attacks on Sameer Wankhede and the NCB's handling of the Aryan Khan drugs case, with swipes at former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to spare - has promised to reveal more "secrets" - but after a break for Diwali.
"Happy Diwali to all of you... There are many secrets hidden in The Lalit (a luxury hotel in Mumbai) ... see you on Sunday," the NCP leader tweeted cryptically Wednesday morning, suggesting there are more allegations and accusations coming at Mr Wankhede and Mr Fadnavis this weekend.
Maharashtra may have banned firecrackers this season, but political observers and supporters can expect an explosive few days after Diwali, given Mr Fadnavis has also promised an "expose".
The BJP leader this week laughed off Mr Malik's claim he was once in a music video financed by a drug smuggler; the video featured Mr Fadnavis' wife, Amrutha Fadnavis as the lead singer.
Mr Fadnavis said: "I am just waiting for Diwali to pass... He has lit a tiny firecracker before Diwali, but I will light a big one after the festival", but dropped a teaser himself, adding, " Those who have relations with the underworld should not speak about me... I will present evidence."
The former Chief Minister was referring to a case filed by the anti-drugs agency against Mr Malik's son-in-law, Sameer Khan, who was arrested earlier this year and granted bail.
Today's tweet by Nawab Malik comes a day after he declared Mr Wankhede had a wardrobe that included shoes worth Rs 2 lakh and watches worth Rs 20 lakh.
The minister also claimed that Mr Wankhede's sister, Yasmeen Wankhede, a lawyer, had connections to a known drug smuggler; he shared WhatsApp chats to back that claim.
Mr Wankhede hit back hours later, pointing out that his sister is a criminal lawyer who did not handle cases under the NDPS, or Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The officer dismissed observations on his wardrobe; his sister was less kind, mocking Mr Malik for having been inspired by watching one too many dramatic movies the night before.
Sameer Wankhede is the lead investigator in the Aryan Khan drug case and faces allegations of a Rs 8 crore payoff levelled by an agency witness.
The Narcotics Control Bureau has initiated an internal inquiry into these charges. The agency has, however, publicly defended the senior officer, who has denied all charges.
Aryan Khan was released on bail Sunday after spending over 20 days in jail. The son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, he was arrested October 3 but no drugs were found on him.