Malik raises Wankhede sis-in-law’s ‘drug’ case, cops clarify

PUNE/MUMBAI: Even as NCP minister Nawab Malik asked NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede if his sister-in-law was involved in the drug business as a case against her was registered in Pune on Febraury 18, 2008, Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta on Monday disclosed that the case against Harshada Redkar and two others was under the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act and not under the NDPS Act, as claimed by Malik.
“Sameer Wankhede, is your sister-in-law Harshada involved in drug business, you must answer because the case is pending before a Pune court. While the case has been filed on March 18, 2008, the next hearing of the case is on March 18, 2022,” Malik tweeted on Monday.
According to court records uploaded on the official website, a case was registered under Sections 3,4,5 and 8 of the NDPS Act. “This appears to be a typographical error. It is a case of PITA provisions, and our records reflect the same. Our team is taking the matter up with the court authorities,” Gupta said.
The Pune police on Monday issued a statement, saying the then social security inspector Rajendra Bhamre and his team had raided a room in a plush star hotel in Bund Garden area and arrested Harshada and two others on October 13, 2007 under the provisions of PITA. A chargesheet was filed on January 14, 2008 against the three accused, and since then, the matter has been pending before the court.
Wankhede’s wife Kranti Redkar tweeted on Monday, saying her sister will tackle Malik’s tweet legally and that her husband has no relation whatever with the case. “I know the media has a lot of questions on Malik’s tweet. I would like to say that my sister was and continues to be victim in this case. According to our legal team, it is not prudent to comment on the matter since it is subjudice,” she tweeted.
According to reports, Wankhede too reacted sharply to Malik’s tweet.
“I was not even in service when the incident took place in Pune. I got married to Kranti in 2017. Then how am I associated with the case in any way?” he asked.