Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Friday tendered an unconditional apology in the Bombay High Court for his remarks on Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
Malik tendered the unconditional apology for breaching his undertaking to the court that he won’t be making statements against Dhyandev Wankhede, the father of Sameer Wankhede, and his family. Malik gave an assurance that he would not make any comments or pass any remarks against Dhyandev.
In the statement made by Nawab Malik, he said he is tendering an unconditional apology to the court in respect of the breaches of his undertaking given to the court as recorded in the orders dated November 25 and November 29.
Malik, however, said that his statement or undertaking would not prevent him from commenting on the political misuse of Central agencies and the conduct of their officers in the course of performance of their official duties henceforth.
The High Court accepted Malik’s apology. The NCP leader stated that the so-called responses were made in the course of interviews with journalists which covered a large number of topics and a considerable period of time.
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He said:
“During interviews, journalists had asked specific questions and it was in response thereto that I had made the statements.”
Accepting the responses made by him, he said such responses made in the course of interviews were not within the ambit of the statement made on his behalf to this court.
Sameer Wankhede’s father had approached the Bombay HC against Malik in a defamation suit seeking Rs 1.25 crore damages for defaming him and his family, and directions to restrain the NCP leader or anyone acting on his behalf from posting anything defamatory against them.