The Washim Sessions Court has called for a report from the local police on the investigation done so far against NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader and former Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik, in a defamation complaint filed by the cousin brother of IRS officer Sameer Wankhede.
Wankhede’s brother, Sanjay Wankhede, had approached the Washim Sessions court in 2021 stating that he lives in a joint family and due to Malik’s defamatory comments against the officer, he and the entire family were defamed. The plea had called for a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act to be registered as the family belonged to the Mahar community. In November 2022, the court directed the local police to register an FIR and investigate the complaint.
The court at that time had also sought a report from the Washim city police after completing its investigation.
However, Sanjay Wankhede alleged that after initial progress, the police refused to give any further information to him about the progress of the investigation.
Sanjay Wankhede approached the court again stating that Malik had not even been arrested and even when he was approaching the police and requesting them to complete the investigation and file a chargesheet, nothing had been done so far.
Sanjay Wankhede’s plea stated that since the “accused Nawab Malik is a political leader and poses himself as a high-profile personality,” thus no action is being taken by police under “pressure”.
The plea therefore sought that the Washim court direct the police to file a report and seek explanation regarding delay in the investigation and non-arrest of the accused. The Washim police have to submit a report on the same by February 15, 2025.