MUMBAI: The National Scheduled Castes Commission led by Vijay Sapla has asked Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale to probe into the complaint of defamation lodged by NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede against NCP minister Nawab Malik who raised questions about the officer’s caste credentials.
A senior IPS officer told TOI that in view of the communication from the commission, the probe will be entrusted to joint commissioner of police Vishwas Nangre Patil. “Nangre Patil is expected to record the statement of Wankhede and submit a report to the commission through the Mumbai Police Commission,” the IPS officer said.
Malik had raised doubts over the caste of Wankhede, alleging that Wankhede belonged to the Muslim community but had forged documents to secure an SC certificate and got a prestigious job in the government. “Wankhede is a Muslim, we have documents to prove it,” Malik claimed.
Further, Malik said a section of social activists would soon move the state’s social justice department for verification of Wankhede’s caste papers. As per rules, if a complaint is lodged, the district-level caste scrutiny committee is expected to verify the complaint as well as documents from both sides and give a verdict on validity of the certificate. “We will establish it, and Wankhede will lose his job,” Malik had claimed. Wankhede has said there is no substance in Malik’s allegations.
