Major relief as Mumbai Police clear the NCP leader in four-year-old case linked to 2021 cruise drugs row; it was filed by Sameer Wankhede’s sister Yasmin
NEW DELHI — In a major relief to senior Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Nawab Malik, the Mumbai Police have given him a clean chit in a defamation and alleged criminal case filed by Yasmin Wankhede, the sister of former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede.
The Amboli Police submitted its report to the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate Court, stating that no evidence had been found against Malik. The case had been pending since 2021 and was being heard for over four years.
“This is a big relief for me. Whatever I said in press conferences or on social media was my responsibility as a political spokesperson. I never had any personal grudge,” Malik told reporters.
The dispute dates back to October 2021, when Sameer Wankhede was leading the NCB during the controversial Mumbai cruise drugs case, in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was arrested. Around the same time, Nawab Malik’s son-in-law, Sameer Khan, was also arrested in a drugs case. He was later granted bail, but the episode created political tension.
Malik, then a Cabinet Minister in the Maharashtra government, held multiple press conferences accusing Wankhede of corruption and misuse of authority. Yasmin Wankhede, who is a lawyer, alleged that Malik defamed her and her family by calling her “Lady Don,” sharing misleading chats and photographs, and circulating her personal pictures on social media.
“His remarks were not only false but also deeply insulting. They damaged my image as a professional woman and hurt my dignity,” Yasmin had said in her complaint.
Yasmin had first approached the Oshiwara police station and the National Commission for Women in 2021. Later, she filed a criminal complaint in court, which eventually reached the MP-MLA Court in Bandra.
In January 2025, the Magistrate Court directed the Amboli Police to carry out a fresh investigation and submit a report. After months of inquiry, the police submitted its findings this month, declaring that there was no concrete evidence against Malik.
“The court had ordered us to look into the complaint thoroughly. After investigation, we found no proof of defamation or criminal act by Mr Malik,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.
Malik, who had spent months in jail in a separate money laundering case before being released on health grounds, said he has always respected women.
“I have never done anything that disrespects or insults women. I respect women a lot, and this matter was only about my duty as a political leader,” Malik stated.
Although the police report clears Malik, the legal battle may not be over yet. Lawyers say that Yasmin Wankhede still has the option to challenge the clean chit in a higher court.
Speaking to the media after the development, Yasmin said, “I do not agree with the police report. I will continue to fight for justice. Malik tried to defame me and my family, and I will pursue the case.”
The controversy is closely tied to the 2021 cruise drugs case that dominated national headlines. The case not only dragged Shah Rukh Khan’s family into the spotlight but also turned into a political storm in Maharashtra.
While Aryan Khan was later cleared of charges, Nawab Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan tragically died in a road accident last year. The latest clean chit is seen as another twist in the long legal and political battle between Malik and the Wankhede family.
For now, the court has taken the police report on record and reserved its order until the next hearing.
