Not Muslim by birth: Ex-NCB officer Wankhede gets clean-chit
The Caste Scrutiny Committee has cleared former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief Sameer Wankhede in the caste certificate case, putting an end to a year-long dispute. Wankhede's caste certificate was also upheld by the committee. The three-member committee presided by Anita Meshram had taken down comments from each side in a 91-page order before concluding that Wankhede wasn't a Muslim by birth.
Why does this story matter?
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan, became the talk of the town last year when agencies apprehended him following a drug bust on a cruise. The high-profile case saw Aryan's arrest and bail trial. Wankhede, who was leading the investigation, later faced extortion and dereliction of duty allegations, following which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) took over the investigation, declaring Aryan innocent later.
Wankhede hasn't renounced Hinduism despite conversion to Islam: Committee
The committee also determined that Sameer Wankhede and his father, Dyaneshwar Wankhede, still hadn't renounced Hinduism and converted to Islam. The order also states that Sameer Wankhede and his father are members of the Hindu-recognized Mahar-37 Scheduled Caste (SC). Wankhede immediately posted "Satyameva Jayate" on Twitter following the outcome. The caste scrutiny committee also had Salima Tadvi and Sunita Mate as members.
Official statement over the development
"All my life I have worked for the service of the propel, but what hurt me was the fact that my family and dead mother was also not spared," Wankhede reportedly stated. However, advocate Nitin Satpute, standing against Wankhede, expressed disappointment. "Wankhede Caste is already challenged by me in the High court...We had no....expectations from Caste Scrutiny Committee, but have faith in...Court," he stated.
Details regarding the development
The committee determined that the allegations made by former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik and other complainants, including Manoj Sansare, Ashok Kamble, and Sanjay Kamble regarding Sameer Wankhede's caste certificate were unsubstantiated. Wankhede claimed that Malik, as a cabinet minister at the time, brought up the issue of his caste certificate because his squad had arrested Sameer Khan, Malik's son-in-law, in a drug case.
What were the allegations?
Malik and others claimed that Wankhede's father, Dyaneshwar Wankhede, a Mahar by caste, had renounced Hinduism and converted to Islam in order to marry his wife, who was born a Muslim. As per the allegations, Wankhede was born a Muslim and married a Muslim woman. Wankhede's legal team, including advocate Divakar Rai, replied in detail to the caste scrutiny notice after receiving the complaints.
