Never breached undertaking on statements against Wankhede, kin: Malik to HC

Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik on Monday urged the Bombay High Court to dismiss a contempt plea filed against him by Dhyandev Wankhede father of former NCB zonal director Sameer WankhedeMalik who was physically present in HC following a show cause notice issued to him over the plea filed by Dnyandev Wankede submitted an affidavit denying all allegations of having been in contempt of the courtDnyandev Wankhede in his contempt plea filed earlier this year had claimed Malik had violated an undertaking that the latter had given in court in December promising to refrain from making defamatory public comments and social media posts against the WankhedesIn his affidavit submitted before a bench led by Justice SJ Kathawalla on Monday Malik however claimed that while giving such an undertaking his counsel had told the court that his undertaking would not constrain him from making public statements against the conduct of Central government officers that were in breach of their official dutiesAnd the comments and TV interviews mentioned by Dnyandev in the contempt plea came within the purview of the above concession and therefore not in breach of his undertaking Maliks affidavit statedThe minister in his affidavit said he had not named Sameer Wankhede in the press conferences mentioned before HC on the last hearing by Dnyandevs counsel senior advocate Birendra SarafHe said he had spoken about the former NCB officers caste certificate being illegal and it was because such illegality was the very premise of the complaint filed by him against Sameer Wankhede before the state caste scrutiny committeeI respectfully submit that my right as a spokesperson of the NCP to criticize or comment on the political misuse of ventured agencies and the conduct of their officers in the course of their public duties cannot be restricted the affidavit readThe contempt jurisdiction cannot be used for my statements on public officers and the performance of their official duties I submit that this contempt petition be dismissed with costs it addedThe High Court granted a weeks time to Dnyandevs counsel to respond to Maliks affidavitThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever