Nawab Malik tenders apology to Bombay HC for making statements against Wankhede family
In a four-page affidavit, Nawab Malik told the bench that it was not his intention to dishonour the court by breaching his own undertaking, but also contended that he was under the impression that responses to questions asked by journalists in interviews weren’t covered by his previous undertakings to the court.
FollowMumbai: Maharashtra minorities development minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik tendered an “unconditional apology” to the Bombay High Court on Friday for his remarks against Dnyandev Wankhede, father of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, in violation of his earlier undertaking to the High Court.
In a four-page affidavit, Nawab Malik told the bench that it was not his intention to dishonour the court by breaching his own undertaking, but also contended that he was under the impression that responses to questions asked by journalists in interviews weren’t covered by his previous undertakings to the court.
“I tender my unconditional apology to this hon’ble court in respect of the breaches of my undertaking given to this hon’ble court as recorded in the orders dated 25th November 2021 and 29 November 2021,” Nawab Malik said in his affidavit.
The undertaking submitted before a division bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav read, “I, however, believe 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 performance of their official duties hereafter.”
The HC accepted Malik’s apology and said a minister is not a layman. It also took note of the objection raised by Dnyandev Wankhede’s lawyer, senior counsel Birendra Saraf, about Malik’s statement that he can still comment on the conduct of ‘officials of Central agencies’.
“I (Malik) am not saying anything about his (Sameer Wankhede) personal life. His religion, caste, holidays... I am not interested,” the lawyer said. The High Court accepted Chinoy’s statement but also made it clear that Malik shall not make any comments on Sameer Wankhede's past conduct in discharge of official duty. Any comments must be restricted to the present or future, the court said.
