Anti-Drugs Officer's Nikah At Centre Of Maharashtra Minister's New Attack

Anti-drugs officer Sameer Wankhede - who has been accused of extortion, illegal tapping and forgery of documents for a job at the NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik - today dared the 62-year-old leader to show a proof that he converted his religion. The dare came as the Nationalist Congress Party leader, continuing his onslaught, tweeted a photo that showed the NCB officer with his first wife and a "Nikah Nama" - marriage certificate.

The state minister and Mr Wankhede have been sparring amid the probe in the drugs-on-cruise case that names megastar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan as "accused number 1". The 23-year-old has been denied bail twice in the case since he was arrested earlier this month while critics continue to claim there's no proof against him. 

"I am a Hindu from birth and I come from a Dalit family. I am a Hindu today also. I have never undergone any sort of religious conversion. India is a secular nation and I am proud of it," Mr Wankhede told reporters this afternoon as the Maharashtra Minister continues to accuse him of using a fake birth certificate for his government job. The minister has said he "will quit politics if proven wrong". 

"My father is a Hindu and my mother was a Muslim. I love them both. My mother wanted me to follow Muslim customs for my marriage. But the same month, I got my marriage registered under the Special Marriage Act... because when people of two different religions get married, the marriage is registered under this Act."

"Later, we got divorced legally. If I have converted to another religion... Nawab Malik should show the certificate... a proof. My father will show the marriage certificate under the Special Marriage Act," the NCB officer added.

This morning, Mr Malik shared a photo on Twitter and wrote: "Photo of sweet couple Sameer Dawood Wankhede and Dr Shabana Qureshi."
 

In another post, he tweeted: "This is the 'Nikah Nama' of the first marriage of 'Sameer Dawood Wankhede' with Dr. Shabana Quraishi."

A maulana who claims to have solemnised the first marriage of Mr Wankhede is heard telling in a video, "In 2006, he told us that he is a Muslim. That's how we solemnised the marriage. His father's name is Dawood. If today, he is saying, he is not a Muslim, he is lying." 

On Monday, the NCB officer had said the "personal attacks" on him were intended to "malign his image". "The publishing of my personal documents is defamatory in nature and an unnecessary invasion of my family privacy. It is intended to malign me, my family, my father, and my late mother," he had said.

In an affidavit submitted to the special court hearing the drugs-on-cruise case, he linked the comments to the case against Nawab Malik's son-in-law: "... I have been personally targeted, especially by a known political figure, (since) one Sameer Khan, a relative of this honcho, was arrested in a drug case... from that time there is a personal vendetta targeted at me and my family members... was threatened to be arrested and dispelled from my job/service."

Mr Malik, however, has dismissed the claims. Today, the Bombay High Court rejected a petition that sought to refrain the NCP leader from making such comments. 

A five-member team is in Mumbai today to probe the payoff allegations against the NCB officer in the drugs-on-cruise case. A witness has alleged there was a plan to ask for Rs 25 crore from SRK's manager Pooja Dadlani and settle on 18 crore, of which 8 crore was to be paid to Sameer Wankhede.

The NCB, however, backed the officer, citing his "an impeccable record".