Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik tenders unconditional apology to Bombay HC for remarks on Sameer Wankhede

MUMBAI: NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik tendered an unconditional apology to Bombay High Court in connection with his remarks against Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede on Friday.

The Bombay High Court pulled Malik for breaching his own affidavit submitted in court that he and his family members will not make any direct and indirect statement against Sameer Wankhede and his family members. Malik tendered an unconditional apology for his remarks on NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.

The statement by Nawab Malik read, "At the outset, I tender my unconditional apology to this Honourable Court in respect of the breaches of my undertaking given to this court as recorded in the orders dated Nov 25 and Nov 29, 2021."

Malik further added, "I had no intention to disrespect, dishonour, overreach or breach the said orders."

Nawab Malik explained that the breaches happened as these were responses to queries of the media. "These responses were made by me in the belief that such responses made in the course of interviews were not within the ambit of the statement made on my behalf to this court. I have since been advised and informed that the statement made to the court would cover any comments and responses made by me even in the course of specific questions asked in the course of general interviews."

Malik ended his three-page affidavit by stating, "I, however, believe that my statement would not prevent me from commenting on the political misuse of central agencies and the conduct of their officers in the course of their duties."

 The bench headed by Justices S J Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav accepted the unconditional apology of Nawab Malik.
 
Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede and his wife Kranti Redkar approached Mumbai’s lower court seeking directions to social media companies Google, Facebook and Twitter to restrain them from publishing or displaying 'malicious and defamatory' content about them

Wankhede and his wife alleged that the misinformation was being spread by those against whom the Narcotics Control Bureau officer had taken action in his professional capacity.

The plea stated that these social media companies are required to ensure that misinformation, defamatory and depreciative statements are not permitted on their platforms under the Information Technology Act, 2000.