In twin developments relating to Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik, a Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to him in a defamation suit filed by city BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya, while NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede’s father Dhyandev Wankhede told the Bombay High Court  that he had no objection to his (Malik’s) plea granting interim relief  to Wankhede in a defamation suit filed against the NCP leader.  

The Metropolitan Magistrate court, Mazgaon, granted bail of Rs. 15,000 to Malik  and scheduled the next hearing of the case for December 30.

Acting on a complaint against the minister filed by Bharatiya who had alleged that the former had defamed and his brother-in-law Rishabh Sachdeva and that the NCB was under the influence of the BJP, the court had earlier issued a notice to Malik and asked him to remain present on Monday. 

On his part, Malik had responded to the notice issued by the court and remained present in the court as directed by the Metropolitan Magistrate at the previous hearing.

At Monday’s hearing, Bharatiya’s lawyer Faiz Merchant moved an application before the court  seeking that an order of contempt be issued against Malik for having allegedly attracted a mob outside the Court where he appeared today.

However, Malik appeared personally before the Magistrate and prayed for bail considering the offences alleged against him were bailable, the couret granted bail to the minister.

In his complaint made against Malik before the court, Bharatiya had among other things alleged that the minister had allegedly urged his supporters to assemble in large numbers before the ccurt adn that Malik’s intent was to “obstruct in the administration of justice” which is apparent form his tweets. In doing so, he lowered the authority of the court.

Bharatiya had also also filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police seeking registration of a First Information Report under Section 188 (disobedience to order of public servant), 269 and 270 (malignant act leading to spread of dangerous infection) of the Indian Penal Code.

On his part, talking to media persons, Malik said that  he had appeared before the court by responding to the court’s notice in the defamation suit filed by Bhartiya. He denied all the allegations by Bharatiya.

“We have also brought on record how Bhartiya himself is a fraudulent person involved in a scam of Rs.1,100 crore and the raids by the Central Bureau of Investigations on him… When the scam started coming out, he changed his name from ‘Kamboj’ to ‘Bhartiya’, we have submitted all evidence to the court and will provide more later,” Malik alleged.

Meanwhile, in a defamation suit filed against Malik before the Bombay High Court, Sameer’s father Dhyandev Wankhede told court that  he had no objections to the plea by Malik to quash the single-judge order refusing to grant interim relief to Wankhede.

In an application filed before a two-member HC bench, Mallik had proposed quashing of the single-judge order as it had many adverse observations against him as well. After quashing of the order, Malik had urged the high court to send  the interim application back to the single-judge for re-hearing on the case.

Taking cognisance of Sr Wankhede's submission that he had no objection to Malik’s plea, the HC bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav recorded in its order that the single-judge order has been consensually set aside.

The HC bench also granted Malik time till December 9 to file his reply to the interim application in Wankhede's defamation suit. Wankhede has to file the rejoinder by January 3, 2022. The high court asked the lower to decide Sr Wankhede’s defamation suit within 12 weeks.

Malik has among other things alleged that the raid on the rave  party on board Goa-bound luxury cruise was “fake”, that the former has been targeting Bollywood in drug-related matters, that he has extorted money from film personalities, that he has forged a caste certificate to join IRS and that he was enjoying “ lavish lifestyle” from the proceeds of extorted money.

The Bombay High Court on November 18 took on record several of his documents, including the copy of the latter’s School Leaving Certificate (SLC) -- which mentioned that he was a Muslim and not Hindu Dalit as he has been claiming.