Won’t make public statements against Wankhede family till Dec 9: Nawab Malik

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that he will not post any tweets or make any public statements against NCB's zonal director Sameer Wankhede, his father or any of their family members till December 9, the next date of hearing.

The assurance came after the high court asked the minister whether he has lodged a complaint with the caste scrutiny committee regarding his allegations against Sameer Wankhede's caste credentials, and said if he has not done so what was his intention behind the "media publicity", which it said does not befit a minister.

The statement on Malik's behalf was made by his counsel after the court said that it was inclined to pass an order restraining the minister from making public comments against the Wankhedes till further hearing.

The bench said that it was apparent that Malik's tweets had stemmed out of malice.

"Why is the minister behaving like this? Why should he behave like this we want to know? This is nothing but malice. Please read the dictionary meaning of malice," the HC said

The bench was hearing an appeal filed by Dnyandev Wankhede, father of Sameer Wankhede, challenging the order of a single bench of the high court that had refused on November 22, to restrain Malik from making defamatory statements against him and his family.