'Forgery FIR against me on behest of Nawab Malik': Sameer Wankhede moves HC

Sameer Wankhede former zonal director of Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has moved the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR registered against him by Thanersquos Kopri police station for forgery and other sections of the Indian Penal CodeWankhede in his application before the court has alleged that the FIR has been registered against him on the behest of Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik who is ldquomisusing his post to target him since he was posted at NCBrdquoThe HC is likely to hear the matter on February 23Wankhede was booked by Thane Police based on a complaint by excise department that he was holding a bar licence in his name since he was minor The excise officers have alleged that he forged affidavits to obtain licence in 1997In his application before the Bombay HC Wankhede said ldquoNawab Malik is misusing his political powers and has managed to initiate proceedings for the cancellation of permit room licence granted in respect of Sadhguru Bar and Restaurant The said proceedings came to be maliciously instituted against the petitioner Wankhedeat the instance of the said minister who has openly threatened the petitioner of false implications The petitioner who is holding the permit room licence granted in the year 1997 has held the said licence without any breach or violation of the said licence conditions since last 25 years Since the said proceedings are instituted at the instance of the said minister various false and baseless grounds are taken by the District Collector Thane who has under the influence and at the instance of the said minister issued a show cause notice and has ultimately vide order dated 01022022 cancelled the permit room licence granted in favour of the petitionerrdquoThe affidavit added ldquoThe petitioner was 17 years of age when the alleged crime had taken place vide the mother of the petitioner That by virtue of the Petitioner being merely 17 years of age he was not a major during the commission of the alleged crime That the law of the land does not acknowledge that a minor had the capacity in order to orchestrate the entire crime at hand In fact the petitioner was merely in college when the alleged offence is said to have taken place That the petitioner was merely signing documents where he was asked by his mother to signrdquoWankhede also said it is clear that the registration of the present FIR is nothing but a result of the witchhunt at the behest of the coalition government of the State of Maharashtra against him The application also states that Wankhede has been summoned by Kopri Police station to appear before them on February 23 at 11 am along with relevant documents and the investigating officer has imposed four conditions on himThe application also states that Wankhede was a minor when the alleged offence had happenedldquoThe petitioner at the time of offence if any was 17 years old which is an admitted fact and as per the Provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act 2000 he has to be tried by the Juvenile Justice Board as per section 9 of the act It is further submitted that as per section 2k of the said act the petitioner was a juvenile at the commission of the offence as per the documents and had not completed the age of 18 years and hence the petitioner cannot be triedrdquo reads the applicationWankhede through his lawyers has prayed that the court should give direction that there should be coercive action against him