The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to impose a blanket injunction against Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik to restrain him from making any public statement or post tweets targeting NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede's father and family.
Justice Madhav Jamdar, however, said prima facie, Malik's tweets against Wankhede had actuated out of malice and personal animosity.
However, since Wankhede was a government officer and the allegations made against him by Malik pertained to activities related to the NCB Zonal Director's public duties, the minister couldn't be completely prohibited from making any statements against him, the judge said.
The minister, however, henceforth, must make statements against Wankhede or his family only after "reasonable verification of facts," the HC said.
The HC's judgement came on an interim prayer for such an injunction sought by Dhyandeo Wankhede, father of Sameer Wankhede.
Meanwhile, Nawab Malik's daughter Nilofer Malik Khan said the verdict is a "testament to our truth". "We have never written/said anything baseless against Sameer Wankhede or his family. There were discrepancies in his documents & the facts must be put out. He is answerable to the citizens who’s taxes account for his salary," she tweeted.
Nawab Malik also took to Twitter after the verdict. He wrote: ""Satyamev Jayate." "The fight against wrongdoings will continue...," he added.
Malik has been alleging that Sameer Wankhede, currently posted in Mumbai, was born a Muslim and had secured a central government job claiming to belong to a Scheduled Caste.
Wankhede's father, Dnyandev had filed a defamation suit against Malik earlier this month in the HC, seeking among other things, that the minister be restrained from posting defamatory statements against him and his family on social media.
Dnyandev Wankhede has also sought damages worth Rs 1.25 crore.
Sameer Wankhede and his family have repeatedly denied all allegations made by the state minister.
(With PTI inputs)
