In a recent report filed by Mumbai Police before a Magistrate Court, the cops stated that they didn’t find any case of defamation against NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA and former state cabinet minister Nawab Malik as alleged by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede’s sister Yasmeen Wankhede.

The court, in January this year, had ordered a police enquiry into a defamation and stalking complaint filed by the sister of former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede against Malik.

The Mumbai Police’s report has a statement by Malik in which it is said that the defamatory words were never used by him but by the person who had uploaded the photo of Yasmeen and was a close friend of the Wankhedes.

The statement by Malik, recorded on February 11, 2025, said that because he was a spokesperson of his party at that time, it was his “duty to express his opinion…or to ask questions”, and therefore he posted the information on his social media handle. Speaking to mediapersons, he said that he has no personal dispute with Yasmeen Wankhede.

Yasmeen, a lawyer by profession, had alleged through her advocate Ali Kaashif Khan that she had been stalked online by Malik, who took her personal photos from her personal account and uploaded them on his own social media posts with defamatory comments.

However, with regard to the allegation of stalking, the Mumbai police’s report stated that Yasmeen Wankhede’s social media account is a public account and she had posted her photo there from where Malik had taken, which does not amount to stalking.

Khan said that the “police have failed to understand that putting a personal photo publicly by a woman on her own personal account on social media does not empower anyone to use the same in a defamatory context on their own social media pages.”

“The inquiry found no prima facie evidence of a cognisable or non-cognisable offence,” the report concluded. However, on the next date, August 30, Yasmeen Wankhede is likely to file a protest against this report.

According to Yasmeen’s plea, Malik had made false, defamatory and baseless allegations against her and her family members, particularly her brother Sameer Wankhede. This was done with the malafide intention of pressuring the family.

In January 2021, Malik’s son-in-law was arrested by Wankhede’s team for allegedly investing in a drug business. Malik had alleged that the arrest was made in a fake case and started a campaign against Wankhede, speaking about his religion, martial life and even his educational qualifications.

When actor Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested by Wankhede’s team in October 2021, Malik put out many social media posts highlighting several flaws in the case. Ultimately, Aryan Khan was not chargesheeted by the NCB.

– Ends