|HT|
The Thane unit of the central excise department has issued a notice to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede in connection with a bar licence issued to him in 1997. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik had earlier claimed that Wankhede was given the licence despite being ineligible for it. The Thane excise unit’s superintender Nilesh Sangde said the notice was issued on December 10 following an inquiry into Malik’s allegations claiming that Wankhede was 17 years old when he received the licence for the bar in Hotel Sadguru in Navi Mumbai.
“It has come to light that Wankhede did not provide any proof of his age at the time of applying for the licence. We have asked him to respond to the notice in writing by or before December 17. After that, we will schedule a hearing before the Thane collector and further course of action will be depend on the outcome of the hearing,” Sangde said.
He added that inquiries are also being conducting internally to find out how the license was issued when no proof of age was furnished by Wankhede.
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