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Updated February 23rd, 2022 at 12:49 IST

Bombay HC grants Sameer Wankhede interim protection till Feb 28 in licence forgery case

An FIR was filed against Sameer Wankhede on Sunday in Mumbai's Thane for allegedly obtaining a licence for a hotel by misrepresenting his age.

Reported by: Gloria Methri
Former Mumbai NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede
Image: PTI | Image:self
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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection to former Mumbai NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede till February 28 in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) for alleged forgery filed against him on the complaint of the Maharashtra Excise department.

An FIR was filed against Wankhede on Sunday in Mumbai's Thane for allegedly obtaining a licence for a hotel by misrepresenting his age, said the Kopri police. The action was taken following the complaint of State Excise Department official Shankar Gogavale who alleged that Wankhede was below 18 years of age in 1996-97 while obtaining a licence for Sadguru Bar in the city.

Thane collector issued an order to cancel the licence of the bar. 

Wankhede moved the Bombay High Court on Monday seeking quashing of the FIR by Thane Police against the alleged fraudulent bar licence and sought interim protection from arrest. He also moved another petition seeking restoration of the cancelled bar licence by Thane Collector.

Sameer Wankhede claims Police action initiated under political pressure

In both of the pleas, Wankhede, who is a 2008-batch IRS officer, claimed that the action taken against him is out of malice and vengeance as he, during his tenure as NCB's zonal director, had arrested Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik's son-in-law in a drugs case. Wankhede's advocate Vishal Thadani said that the action was taken against the NCB officer by the state Excise Department and the police under political pressure.

“Hence, Mr Malik has vengeance against Wankhede and has been making false and defamatory statements against the applicant (Wankhede),” the pleas said.

In his petition seeking restoration of the cancelled licence filed through advocate Thadani, Wankhede said that the rules in India do not specify the age for the grant of liquor licence.

“The licence was granted in October 1997 and has been renewed time and again till the year 2021. Then after my client (Wankhede) arrested minister Nawab Malik's son-in-law in a drugs case, the minister wrote a letter in November 2021 to the Thane excise Collector raising questions on the licence,” Thadani said.

Pursuant to the letter, an inquiry was initiated and three show-cause notices were issued to Wankhede.

(With inputs from Agency)

Image: PTI

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Published February 23rd, 2022 at 12:49 IST

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