PremiumEarlier in the day, Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan sent a ₹five crore defamation notice to Devendra Fadnavis for making ‘baseless allegations against him without any merit’, and also demanded a written apology from him
| Listen to this article |
Amruta Devendra Fadnavis, wife of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Thursday sent a legal notice to state minister Nawab Malik for 'tarnishing the image of her family' through his alleged defamatory tweets.
“Mr Nawab Malik shared series of defamatory, misleading and maligning tweets including some pictures! Here is the Notice of Defamation including criminal proceedings under various Sections of IPC," Amruta took to her Twitter handle to say.
This came after certain tweets of Malik had claimed a connection between Amruta and alleged drug peddler Jagdeep Rana.
"The allegations are made to gain cheap political mileage and with the sole intention to divert the attention of the public from the misrule and failure of the ruling government and the actions taken by central agencies against the drug menace," reads the notice.
It also states that if Malik does not delete the tweets within 48 hours, an appropriate proceeding will be initiated "including but not limited to, criminal proceedings under section 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 as well as any other criminal proceedings and a civil suit of defamation".
Earlier in the day, Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan sent a ₹five crore defamation notice to Devendra Fadnavis for making "baseless allegations against him without any merit", and also demanded a written apology from him.
Malik's daughter Nilofer Malik Khan posted a snapshot of the legal notice, dated 10 November, on her Twitter handle on Thursday.
"False accusations ruin lives. Before one accuses or condemns they must know what they are talking about. This defamation notice is for the false claims & statements which Mr. @Dev_Fadnavis has put on my family. We will not back down," she tweeted.
Khan was arrested in an alleged drugs case by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in January this year. He was granted bail in September by a court, citing lack of evidence.
In the legal notice to Fadnavis, Sameer Khan's lawyer mentioned that his client was "falsely implicated" in a case lodged by the NCB, which had alleged that he was involved in a drug syndicate.
After filing of the charge sheet in July, Khan was released on bail, it said. But, Fadnavis in a statement to a news channel on 1 November said Malik's son-in-law was "found with drugs in his possession" and that "in whose house drugs were found then what their party will be", it said.
The allegations were "baseless and without any merits", Sameer Khan said in the notice.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP's chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “Devendra Fadnavis has levelled allegations against Malik's son-in-law based on an ongoing case against him. He was behind bars for eight months."
“However, we have decided to respond to his notice legally," Upadhye said.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!
