India / Sameer Wankhede questioned for almost nine hours by police in mumbai

Former Mumbai NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede was questioned for nearly nine hours by the Kopri police in Thane on Wednesday. He came out of the police station around 8.15 pm and claimed that he was cooperating fully in the investigation. In fact, he had reached the police station in connection with the FIR registered against him for forgery and knowingly giving wrong information while buying a liquor license.

Sameer Wankhede reached Thane's Kopri police station at 11.30 am on Wednesday and came out of the police station after nearly nine hours of interrogation. He had reached the police station in connection with the FIR registered against him for forgery and knowingly giving wrong information while buying liquor license. An official of Kopri police station confirmed, "Wankhede had visited the police station as per the court's order and we have recorded his detailed statement. Investigation is on and we will call him again if needed."

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Wankhede said, "The matter is sub-judice so I cannot comment on the matter or the statement recorded, but the police are doing their job and I will cooperate with them whenever they call me in this matter." He, however, refused to take any questions on the arrest of state cabinet minister Nawab Malik by the ED.

The Bombay High Court had on February 20 restrained former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede from draconian steps like arrest till February 28, in an FIR lodged against him at Thane's Kopri police station on a complaint by the Excise Department. It is alleged that Wankhede had submitted an affidavit to the excise office showing that he was an adult to obtain a liquor licence, even though he had not attained 18 years of age at that time.

The DM of Thane had also issued orders to seal the restaurant earlier this month. Following the collector's order, a petition was also filed by Wankhede challenging the Thane District Collector's February 1 order, with the High Court refusing to grant his urgent hearing. In that petition, Wankhede had said that he had turned 18 in December 1997, after which the license was being renewed annually for the last 23 years and therefore the order of cancellation was in violation of his fundamental rights and was liable to be cancelled. Needed. Let us inform that Nawab Malik had raised the issue in November 2021 that Wankhede got the license despite not being the eligible age for it.