Bombay HC to Nawab Malik: Reply to defamation suit by Sameer Wankhede’s father – Times of India

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Monday directed state minorities development minister Nawab Malik to reply to a defamation suit filed by Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede’s father.
“If you are giving a reply on Twitter, then you better file a reply here,” said Justice Madhav Jamdar when senior advocate Atul Damle, for Malik, was seeking more time to file the reply. The judge directed the reply to be filed on Tuesday and posted the hearing on Wednesday.
The suit is filed by Dhyandev Wankhede (72) to stop Malik from defaming his family. He also sought Rs 1.25 crore compensation from Malik for the “irreparable loss, damage, harm, prejudice to the name, character, reputation and societal image of the plaintiff and his family members.”
“Every day there is something or the other posted. That is why the defamation suit along with an interim application for injunction,” Wankhede’s advocate Arshad Shaikh submitted. Upon Damle seeking time to reply, Shaikh said he could meanwhile “persuade his client not to have tweets uploaded against me and my family.”
“He should not post anything and further create a problem,” he added.
Shaikh pointed out that Malik had taken a press conference on Sunday and on Monday had tweeted about Sameer’s sister-in-law Harshada.
Damle objected that Wankhede has filed suit on behalf of the children who are adults. “He is espousing the cause of his children,” he said. But Justice Jamdar said Wankhede has filed the suit as a father for the family.
Shaikh said, “You (Malik) are calling me Dawood.” He said the effect the defamation has had can be seen in the responses to Malik’s posts saying ‘Dawood Wankhede wants Rs 1.25 crore’ and asking ‘why not more when his son wears Louis Vuitton.’ “This is the general perception because of the tweets,” said Shaikh.
Damle retorted, “Somebody else’s response to tweets, you are attributing to me (Malik).” When Damle urged for 2-3 days time to file Malik’s reply, Justice Jamdar then reminded that his client who posts on Twitter could file a reply to Wankhede’s suit.