Mumbai: A complaint has been filed before Mumbai Police seeking FIR against Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik alleging that his public statements against NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede amount to obstruction of investigation in the Cruise Drug Case.
According to the complaint sent via email to a police station in the western suburbs of the city and marked to all concerned in the hierarchy, Nawab Malik’s conduct in addressing Press Conferences as well as making remarks against Sameer Wankhede, the Zonal Director of NCB, amounts to “publicly influencing and defending drug cartel and those accused in the drug case”. It alleges that this is done to “pressure and influence not just the prosecution agency but also the Judiciary hearing the case.”
“Such behaviour also encourages the youth to venture out in the wrong direction and the State through its Minister is harassing a Public Servant and defending, encouraging and promoting the Drug Mafias and Drug Consumers and sending a wrong message to the society. The Minister is obstructing a Public Servant from discharging his official duty and has used Criminal Force by obstructing him from conducting his official duty and using State Police Machinery,” the complaint filed through Advocate Dhrutiman Joshi alleges.
The complaint seeks an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).