Mumbai Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), has filed a petition in the Bombay high court (HC), challenging the show cause notice issued to him by the Mumbai district caste certificate scrutiny committee on April 29.
Calling the notice illegal, arbitrary and against the law, Wankhede filed a petition through advocate Bhushan Mahadik. The notice had asked Wankhede to show cause as to why the caste certificate issued to him on March 5, 2008, should not be confiscated and cancelled, after it was proved through complaints and documents that he was a Muslim and followed Islam. The certificate said that he belonged to the Mahar community.
Wankhede’s petition claimed that though he had questioned the locus standi of Nawab Malik – the complainant, the panel had failed to consider his objections and issued the show cause notice based on the NCP leaders’ complaint.
Wankhede has further claimed that the documents provided by him were not considered by the committee though the documents of his entire family – on his father’s side – which also had similar caste certificates, were not questioned.
Refuting the reference to him as a Muslim, Wankhede stated that as his mother was a Muslim, at the time of his birth, without his father’s consent, the name Dawood K Wankhede was incorrectly provided as his father’s name to the concerned hospital. Also, Muslim was erroneously recorded in his birth certificate against the category of race, caste or nationality.
Wankhede said his school record also incorrectly mentioned Muslim from 1985 to 1989, however, thereafter the records were corrected and now shows that he belongs to the Mahar community.
Seeking the quashing of the notice, Wankhede has urged HC that a committee headed by a former HC judge be set up to inquire into his caste certificate or the inquiry from the district panel be transferred to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.