Sameer Wankhede, Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has become the collective target of the left-liberal mob after he arrested Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan off the Cordelia cruise ship, earlier this month. More importantly, Wankhede has been after Bollywood and the high-flying relatives of politicians of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which has put him under the spotlight.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik attacked Wankhede by making baseless accusations. Nawab Malik, a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government said that the NCB officer was in the Maldives during the lockdown when many Bollywood personalities were travelling to the same destination. It was there that he conducted an extortion racket, according to Malik. The NCP leader also alleged that the officer is acting at the behest of the BJP to discredit the Maharashtra government.
उगाही का धंधा मालदीव में! pic.twitter.com/ECzlOI70vG
— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) October 21, 2021
Malik levelling false accusations
Nawab Malik later posted photographs that Jasmeen Wankhede, sister of Sameer Wankhede, had posted on her social media accounts to prove that the family had visited the Maldives.
He tweeted, “Sameer Wankhade has accepted the fact that he had visited Maldives but he denies the visit to Dubai. Here is the proof of his visit to Dubai with his sister. Sameer Wankhade was at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on 10th December 2020. His lie stands exposed.”
https://twitter.com/nawabmalikncp/status/1451185786242486275
Cheerleaders of the MVA government soon jumped in and took Malik’s bogus claims as the cardinal truth to conjure their conspiracies. Rohini Singh, the 2BHK fame puff piece writer tweeted, “So Sameer Wankhede brought a section of the media ahead of conducting raids. If this isn’t proof of a witch-hunt and non-serious investigation then what is?”
So Sameer Wankhede brought a section of the media ahead of conducting raids . If this isn’t proof of a witch-hunt and non serious investigation then what is?
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) October 21, 2021
After Malik levelled the allegations, Wankhede was forced to clear the air as he stated that he went to the Maldives on his salary after obtaining due permissions and that the visit took place a couple of months ago, not during the lockdown. He said “Nawab Malik is an honorable Minister and I respect him. But that does not mean he can spread lies about me. His claim that I visited Dubai and Maldives is a blatant lie. I have never been to that place. Speaking of my trip to the Maldives, I had taken all the permissions from the government of India, my seniors and the competent authorities. So is it a crime to go to the Maldives with my family? I have paid for the trip from my own salary, is it a crime too?”
I am a central government employee, so I have to take due permission from my seniors and after that, I will take a legal course: NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede when asked if he will take any legal action regarding Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik's allegations pic.twitter.com/qyrJyb7vOc
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2021
Speaking about the photo, Sameer Wankhede said, “I went to 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.”
https://twitter.com/BBTheorist/status/1451191308903616514
Malik extracting revenge from Sameer Wankhede
Malik hounding Wankhede is not an out-of-the-blue incident. Reportedly, Samir Khan, son-in-law of the NCP leader had been in the custody of NCB since January 9. It is alleged that in January, Khan had procured drugs from the US by a British national named Karan Sajnani. NCB had seized 75 kg of Marijuana and 125 kg of other intoxicants from him. It is alleged that after Malik pulled the strings that Khan was granted bail by Special NDPS Court last week.
Since then, he has started to come after the NCB officer and according to some reports threatened Wankhede with dire consequences after he retires next year.
https://twitter.com/BBTheorist/status/1451191308903616514
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Sameer Wankhede — an exemplary officer
Wankhede is a 2008 batch IRS-C&CE officer and was previously posted as Joint Director of Revenue Intelligence in Mumbai. He also held the post of Additional SP in NIA and Deputy Commissioner in AIU. Reportedly, under Wankhede’s tenure as the Zonal director of NCB, his team has seized drugs worth Rs 17,000 crore in the last two years of investigation.
According to reports, Wankhede also filed cases against more than 2000 celebrities for not paying tax in customs. It was natural that the unholy nexus of Bollywood and Maharashtra goons masquerading as politicians were going to come after him.
Even when he was targeted for going after Shahrukh Khan, Wankhede came up with a simple and earnest reply, “We are not targeting anyone at all. We have nothing against him. We have arrested more than 300 people in the last 10 months. Out of those, at the most, there would be about 4 to 5 known people. How can you say that we are targeting anyone? Most of those arrested in the last one year are hard-core, drug-related criminals.”
Wankhede is a classic example of an honest government employee merely trying to do his job. The rich and famous who have been ensnared in the net are troubled that they cannot buy him out and thus are desperate to deride and assassinate his character.