In a fresh attack on Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal chief Sameer Wankhede, Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Thursday said he won’t stop until he puts the official in jail. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has levelled several allegations against Wankhede, including running an extortion racket in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Accusing Wankhede of filing fake cases against celebrities, Malik said that the NCB official will lose his job within a year.

“They (BJP) have a puppet – Wankhede. He raises bogus cases against people. I challenge that Wankhede that he’ll lose his job within a year. You came to jail us, people of this nation won’t be silent without seeing you behind bars. We have evidence of bogus cases,” news agency ANI quoted Nawab Malik as saying.

Sameer Wankhede has been at the forefront of recent NCB investigations involving the film industry, including a drug probe linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death which led to the arrest of actor Rhea Chakraborty and his brother Showik. The siblings are currently out on bail while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues its probe.

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Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was also arrested by the agency in a drugs case but was granted bail by Special NDPS court last week.

“Tell us who your father is, the one who is putting pressure? Nawab Malik isn’t going to be scared of anyone’s father whatever pressure you may try to put on me. I won’t stop until I put you in jail, I’d like to make this clear today,” the NCP leader said.

Malik has targeted Wankhede by questioning his and his family’s alleged presence in the Maldives when many Bollywood celebrities were also in the island country. Hinting at a deeper link between Sameer Wankhede and Bollywood, the minister said that the NCB official “must clarify what he and his family members were doing there at that time.”

“Sameer Wankhede has to explain about his visit to Dubai & Maldives. We are sure that this ‘ugahi‘ happened in Maldives, Dubai,” Malik said.

Wankhede has denied the claims of visiting Dubai and said that he went to the Maldives only after taking permission from the competent authority.

“The word ‘extortion’ is a disgusting term. I did go to Maldives after taking competent authority’s permission. I went with my children and family after taking govt’s permission. If he calls that extortion, then this is not acceptable,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)