Nawab Malik terms Anil Deshmukh's arrest 'political vendetta'

The state Minority Development minister once again attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for trying to malign the image of and destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

Addressing the media consecutively everyday now, Malik Tuesday reacted to Deshmukh's arrest earlier in the day after the former minister was questioned for a marathon 13 hours.

"Nothing but 'political vendetta' of the BJP government. They have done the same in West Bengal, and now they are trying to do it in Maharashtra. 'Satyamev Jayate', the truth will come out. Let the law enforcement authority do their work," Malik said.

He asked the complainant, Param Bir Singh. "He is untraceable, somebody saying he left the country. After issuing a lookout notice, how is he able to fly out of the country? All three states -- Uttarakhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh have a BJP-led government, so how come he left the country? The central government has to reply to it."

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh earlier this year leveled corruption charges against Deshmukh. Singh too was accused of extortion. Following which the Uddhav Thackeray government constituted the Chandiwal judicial commission. However, despite several summons issued against Singh, he did not appear before the panel.

Malik also attacked Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal director Sameer Wankhede. "How does a non-corrupt officer wear a wrist watch worth lakhs of rupees. He wears clothes worth thousands of rupees. It is impossible for a non-corrupt officer to carry on like that," Malik said.

He has written a letter to NCB Director to probe Wankhede and said "the truth must come out before the citizens".

Malik appealed to all celebrities and commoners to not be afraid and come forward and report extortions done by the NCB officials.

He claimed Wankhede is involved in an extortion racket through two private armies, whom they use against Bollywood personalities in drug case.

Wankhede is facing a probe for bribery and extortion charges and has recorded his statement with officials of the vigilance department for the second time Monday.

Last week, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and two others -- Arbaaz Merchantt and Munmun Dhamecha -- in connection with the Mumbai cruise drug bust case that was being probed by Wankhede.