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Sameer Wankhede: NCB scarecrow cooks up Bollywood’s “shraadh”

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 “Lights, Cameras… Raid…!” When the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede planned a rave party raid aboard the Cordelia Cruise luxury ship, one thing was guaranteed — tonnes of publicity, even if the actual drug recovery maybe a few tolas.

For, among those present on the ship on October 2 was Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and producer Gauri, besides a few others from the glam-entertainment world.

Truly, a ‘heady’ ambience for the NCB’s high-profile operation, a first-ever on a luxury cruiser in India, and he effected a big haul of big names, but barely any worthwhile quantity of drugs.

Amid a national furore and international attention, Wankhede zoomed around to catch a total of 20 alleged junkies by their collars and dumping them in the lockup, all the while basking in the reflected glory.

In the past over a year since Wankhede, 42, (IRS 2008), was deputed to the IPS-dominated NCB for the late Sushant Singh Rajput death probe — he jumped head-first with surgical strikes to “uproot the drug citadel in Bollywood and Mumbai”.

Many well-known names like Arjun Rampal, Rhea Chakravorty, Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, comedy couple Bharti Singh and Harsh Limbachiya, Armaan Kohli and the latest, Aryan Khan, were trapped in his net, and at one point he even went tantalisingly close to the Karan Johar’s ‘girebaan’ (collar).

Earlier, during his stint at the Mumbai Airport Customs, Wankhede dabbled in his favourite glamour game — cornering/detaining people like Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Mika Singh, Minisha Lamba, Vivek Oberoi, Ram Gopal Verma, etc., and once even the 2011 World Cup Cricket Trophy made of gold-silver, which was ‘released’ after the BCCI coughed out the customs duty!

A far cry from the days when the NCB was a ghost, its name rarely heard in public — like the 2001 arrest of actor Fardeen Khan — compared with the daily parade of a charade now, akin to a ‘saas-bahu serial’.

If Wankhede was hoping for a pat or promotion, there was some disappointment — this time suddenly chinks were exposed both in the anti-drug actions and intentions, the NCB’s reputation in tatters — and the hunter became the hunted.

The name dreaded by Bollywood suddenly came under intense scrutiny as the Nationalist Congress Party Minister Nawab Malik single-handedly snooped on the super-sleuth — to hammer hollow the NCB’s credibility.

Like a thirsty bloodhound, the bearded, bespectacled Malik coolly launched a serial expose to prove Wankhede’s actions as ‘farjical’ (fraudulent) strikes — unearthing Bharatiya Janata Party-linked ‘independent witnesses’, his unsavoury friends, a wanted-nabbed criminal, alleged fake caste certificate, religious credentials, etc., that rattled the officer.

As Aryan Khan remained in a vice-like grip for 29 nights, Wankhede spent sleepless nights, ran from one NCB probe to another, knocked the doors of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the DGP Sanjay Pandey, Mumbai CoP Hemant Nagrale, the NCSC, the Special NDPS Court and the Bombay High Court.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has cried foul at Wankhede’s unceremonial attempts to perform Bollywood’s last rites and exorcise it’s spirit to other glamour-parched locales like Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh.

Some politicians like Shiv Sena’s Kishore Tiwari have accused him of a ‘danga’ targeting film personalities to help perch his wife Kranti Redkar-Wankhede — a Marathi actress — as Bollywood barely beckons.

There are other dubious firsts — how crucial ‘witnesses’ are bared in public glare which can seriously hamper the NCB’s usually covert and sensitive operations with global ramifications henceforth, the unprecedented witness allegations of extortion bids with Wankhede’s name tossed, or the accusations and probes he faces now from various quarters.

As is common knowledge, the real ‘drug bunkers’ are not in Bollywood, but on the outskirts of Mumbai and the NCB’s overzealous James Bonds could take up the tough challenge instead of ‘boo-ing’ soft targets in the glamour-industry.

A grim Malik has warned of more aces up his ‘kurta’ sleeve, vowing that “picture abhi baaki hai”, will end only after Wankhede’s sack and jail.

With many BJP leaders openly supporting him, only time will tell if Wankhede is a political puppet or a pure patriot.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

Maharashtra

Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma reviewed Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital in Malad

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Mumbai: Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma today (April 20, 2026) visited the Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in Malad East area. During this visit, he visited the outpatient department, intensive care unit and various departments of the hospital. During this visit, he also interacted with the patients coming for treatment at the hospital. Along with this, he also interacted with the doctors, nurses and related officers and employees working in the hospital and got information about the situation there. During today’s visit of Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, Dr. Chandrakant Pawar, Chief Medical Superintendent and Head of the Suburban Hospitals Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation were also present. During today’s visit, Dr. Sharma inspected the machinery, ambulance and various issues related to the hospital and discussed the situation there in detail with the concerned persons. Besides, while interacting with the doctors, nurses and concerned officers and employees providing medical services, Dr. Sharma directed that all the doctors and concerned employees providing medical services in the hospital should speak more politely with the patients coming to the hospital for medical treatment and consult the patients properly. Dr. Sharma expressed satisfaction about the cleanliness and service facilities in the hospital. Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital is a major hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in the Malad East area. This 180-bed hospital has been providing medical services to the people of Mumbai since 1976. The hospital administration also informed on this occasion that the outpatient registration of this hospital is open between 8 am and 11 am on office working days.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Head of gang who made children dress up as girls arrested, major operation by Crime Branch

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Mumbai: A beggar who forced children to beg by dressing them in girls’ clothes and begging has been arrested by the police in Mumbai. He was the head of a begging and living gang. Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 6 has arrested him. Shivaji Nagar Police Station 237/2026 u/s 139, 142, 352, 351(2) BNS along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 12, 17 POCSO along with Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking of Children and Protection of Women Act along with Section 7 of the Third Person Act (*Forced Sexual Relations with POCSO) was registered against the accused. In this case, the police have registered a case against Babu Ainal Khan alias Babu Guru alias Babu Zankha, aged 30 years, resident of Gali No. 9, near Bab Rehmat Masjid, Rafiq Nagar Part No. 2, Shivaji Nagar. Govindi has been arrested. The complainant’s minor son was kidnapped and forcibly transformed into a third gender and for his financial gain, the child was forced to beg in a local train and the said minor was also forced to dress up as a girl and have natural sexual intercourse with male customers, for which the said crime was registered in the police station. The Crime Branch has taken the accused into custody for investigation of this matter. Based on its confidential information, the Crime Branch arrested the accused from Vashi Naka, who was hiding here by hiding his identity.

According to the information received, the said team had laid a trap in Vashi Kopri village in Navi Mumbai. But the wanted accused became suspicious and started fleeing towards Mumbai in a motor car by another route along with his other accomplices. Then the said team also chased his motor car and arrested him from Panjrapole Junction, Trombay, Mumbai. At that time, it was confirmed that the said wanted accused is the same and he was brought to the Crime Branch office. When he was questioned in connection with the said crime, it was found that he was actively involved in the crime, he was medically examined and handed over to Shivajinagar Police Station for further investigation. The accused has a criminal record against him.

1) Shivajinagar Police Station G No. No. 718/2024 C 115(2), 118(1), 353,351 BNS Narapoli Police Station No. No. 1704/2024 C 109, 118(1), 352, 351, BNS Kurla Police Station G No. 240/2017 C 365, 342, 348, IPC Deonar Police Station No. No. 150/ 2010 C 324,323 IPC Shivajinagar Police Station 218/2025 C 3(a), 6(a) Section 3 along with cases registered under sections 318(4), 336, 337, 339, 340(2) BNS of the Foreign National Order Act
This information has been given here today by Bharat Ghona, in-charge of Unit 6.

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Maharashtra

BJP leader Nazia Elahi’s misbehavior in Mumbai Lenskart store, appeal to reveal religious identity

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Mumbai: BJP leader Nazia Elahi, who entered a Lenskart store in Mumbai’s Andheri area, not only showed hatred but also argued with a Muslim youth and tried to explain how he wanted to implement Sharia here. After the ban on Hindu dress and customs in Lenskart, Nazia Elahi entered Lenskart on social media and applied tilak to Hindu employees here, after which this matter has now become a cause of religious controversy.

For the past several days, Lenskart owner Piyush Bansal has been asked that if there is so much “love” for Islamic customs and customs, then why is there so much “hatred” for Hindu beliefs in Hindu-majority India? Voices are being raised across the country against Lenskart’s double standards. People are protesting in different ways. In this context, BJP leader and supporter of Sanatan traditions Nazia Elahi Khan visited a Lenskart store and applied tilak to the employees. Nazia Elahi Khan visited a Lenskart store. Nazia appealed to Hindus to be fully aware of their religious and cultural traditions and identity. Sharing a picture of a Lenskart store on social media platform X, she wrote, “Tilak is a source of pride for you. Kalava is your sanskar (sacred thread) your sanskar (culture). Sanatan is your identity. It is your honor to chant the slogan Har Har Mahadev.” After this, she said that wherever Hindus work, they should never compromise on their identity and traditions. Nazia wrote. Whether you work in Lenskart or Air India, wherever you are, never compromise on your identity.” Nazia tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Maharashtra BJP and Air India in her post.

The campaign to apply tilak to Lenskart employees Nazia Elahi Khan is seen applying tilak to Lenskart employees in the posted photos. The post has drawn a strong response from the former Muslim. Many users have made extremely offensive and vulgar comments that cannot even be mentioned here. Lenskart has been embroiled in controversy amid allegations of double standards. It is worth noting that Lenskart’s internal guidelines regarding dress and image for its employees have been a topic of heated debate for the past few days. Questions are being raised on social media as to why a Hindu national company in a Hindu majority country with a majority of Hindu employees and Hindu buyers is trying to suppress Hindu religious beliefs and Hindu identity. Piyush Bansal has clarified these allegations in two separate posts. He said that the Lenskart grooming guidelines shared on social media are outdated.

Lenskart’s dressing rules criticised
Piyush Bansal admitted that there was a ban on sindoor, bindi and kalava. People are also questioning whether such deeply discriminatory guidelines exist in any. People are also asking, “Where are the new guidelines that allow wearing sindoor, bindi and kalava?” Meanwhile, several former and current employees of Lenskart are reporting how the company is depriving Hindu employees of their basic rights. Some are also claiming that they were fired because they adhered to Hindu religious beliefs or spoke in support of them. Lenskart shares sold off. Following allegations of religious discrimination and the growing controversy surrounding it, Lenskart shares are selling off. On Monday, Lenskart shares fell by about two percent on both the major indices, BSE and NSE. At the time of publishing this news at 2:40 pm, Lenskart shares on the BSE were down 1.83%, or ₹9.80, at ₹524.75. Meanwhile, on the NSE, Lenskart shares fell 1.82%, or ₹9.75, to ₹524.80. The police have not registered any case in this matter so far, while this matter is also related to religious hatred and sectarianism and Nazia Elahi has also targeted a single religion by openly creating religious hatred.

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