Sameer Wankhede (File Photo)  |  Photo Credit: ANI
Key Highlights
- NCSC has directed filing of an FIR under SC/ST Act and IPC Act and asked Maharashtra govt to file an action taken report.
- NCSC also directed the Maharashtra caste scrutiny committee to expedite the process of caste certificate of Sameer Wankhede.
- Sameer Wankhede is expected to be in the Capital on Sunday before the vigilance team of the NCB. He will again record his statement.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes, a constitutional body, has directed the Maharashtra government to immediately register an FIR under the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint filed by then zonal director of NCB Mumbai unit Sameer Wankhede.
The vice-chairman of NCSC Arun Halder also said the FIR should be filed within a week’s time and directed the top bureaucrats and police officers of the Maharashtra government to submit an action taken report.
Wankhede had approached the commission, last October after he complained that he is being targetted because he belongs to mahaar community (scheduled caste). In his plea, Wankhede also claimed that he was being harassed because of high-profile cases he has investigated like the arrest of a son-in-law of a Maharashtra politician and the arrest of a Bollywood actor’s son.
Drug bust on a cruise liner led to an open war of words between Wankhede and several leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Maharashtra. After he approached the commission, an SIT was formed to look into the allegations.
Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede is expected to be in the capital on Sunday before the vigilance team of the NCB. The vigilance team was set up several allegations, claims and counter claims were levelled following the NCB’s drug seizure on a cruise liner last October.
The commission has ordered now disbanding of the SIT. On allegations of Wankhede that he and his family are being harassed, the NCSC has ordered, “further direction not to harass the petitioner (Wankhede in this case) and his family”.
The Union home ministry in its reply submitted before the commission, last month, said that Wankhede has been de-attached from NCB and is back with his parent cadre CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs). Interestingly the DG NCB also told the commission that six cases have been given to an SIT that has been formed within the NCB.
As regards to allegations regarding Wankhede’s travel to the Maldives between 30th July 2021 and 3rd August 2021, the commission noted he had “kept the DG in the loop”.
NCSC also directed the Maharashtra caste scrutiny committee to expedite the process of the caste certificate of Sameer Wankhede and submit a report within a month.