Malik denies contempt in Wankhede’s dad case

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Monday appeared in Bombay high court, which had over a week ago issued him a showcause notice on a contempt petition filed by Dhyandev Wankhede (72), father of Sameer Wankhede, against him. Malik also, through counsel Karl Tamboly, submitted his reply denying having committed contempt, saying there was “deliberate “ interpolation in transcripts submitted by Wankhede of his press conference. He said the HC was “induced to entertain the contempt petition on the basis of such deliberately incorrect extracts”.Wankhede, a retired police officer, sought time to file a rejoinder to Malik’s affidavit. A bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav granted Wankhede a week and adjourned the hearing.Wankhede’s contempt plea contended that Malik had flouted his undertaking given last December 10, to court against making personal remarks publicly about Sameer, who was NCB zonal director earlier. Malik had last year on social media questioned Wankhede’s caste and religion status.On Monday, in his reply Malik said, “My right (as spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party) to criticize and comment on the political misuse of central agencies and conduct of their officers in the course of public duties, cannot be restricted to acts performed during/after any period”.He said the contempt jurisdiction was a quasicriminal jurisdiction and cannot be utilised to extend his undertaking to such acts of public officers in the course of performance of public duties. He sought dismissal of the contempt petition with costs.Malik said information referred by him at his press conferences on January 2 and 3 was what he learned after December 10 and he referred to acts of a public officer. Malik said the contempt petition should have been filed before a single judge bench.