Sameer Wankhede, divisional director, Bureau of Narcotics Control (NCB), told the Caste Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday that he does not have the caste validity certificate requested by the committee. Wankhede has been questioned for allegedly using a fake caste certificate to get a job in the SC category.
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However, he has asked for more time to submit other documents requested by the committee. The next hearing is scheduled for January 18, 2022. “We have asked for more time to submit documents asked by the commission and we will file a reply as well,” said Wankhede’s lawyer Ramchandra Rane. Counsel for complainant Ashok Kamble and Minister Nawab Malik were also present during the hearing.
“I don’t have caste validity certificate”: Sameer Wankhede
Talking to news portal Mid- Day, Nitin Satpute, counsel for Ashok Kamble said, “Wankhede has asked for more time and he has told the committee that he does not have the caste validity certificate.” He further said that since Wankhede has informed the committee on record that he does not have a caste validity certificate, the scrutiny committee now has a jurisdiction to probe this matter further, “If he (Wankhede) had shown the validity certificate, then this matter wouldn’t have fallen under the jurisdiction of this committee, but would have gone to the Bombay High Court,” Satpute added.
Meanwhile, a number of complaints were lodged before the committee after Malik alleged that Wankhede’s caste certificate was forged. In October this year, Sameer Wankhede and his team arrested Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. Later, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik, whose son-in-law was also arrested by the NCB, accused Sameer Wankhede of corruption and extortion.
Malik had also alleged that Malik had forged the caste certificate of Sameer Wankhede and that he was a Scheduled Caste in order to get a job. After this, the Caste Vigilance Committee of the Government of Maharashtra started an inquiry into the allegations made against Sameer Wankhede by Nawab Malik regarding the caste certificate.