Mumbai, Nov 29 (IANS): Dnyandev Wankhede, father of Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede, said he had no objection to a plea by Nationalist Congress Party Minister Nawab Malik seeking to quash a single-judge order declining interim relief to Wankhede Sr in his defamation suit against the NCP leader.

Though a single-bench order of November 22 by Justice Madhav Jamdar refused interim relief to Wankhede Sr, Malik had filed a plea for quashing the same as it had certain observations against him too.

In his plea, Malik suggested that after quashing the order by Justice Jamdar, the interim application in Wankhede Sr's suit could be remanded back to the same court for re-hearing the matter.

Accordingly, after Wankhede Sr consented, a division bench comprising Justice S.J. Kathawalla and Justice Milind Jadhav said that the single-judge order has been consensually set aside and remanded it back to the single-judge to hear afresh the interim relief aspects.

The division bench granted Malik time till December 9 to file his reply to the Wankhede Sr' interim application and the latter is required to submit his rejoinder by January 3, 2022.

Meanwhile, Malik will refrain from making any statements against the Wankhedes as he had earlier done.

It may be recalled that following a series of stinging exposes by Malik, questioning the family's religious credential, the alleged fake caste certificate submitted by Sameer Wankhede to get the plum job in IRS, and other issues, Wankhede Sr had filed a Rs 1.25 crore defamation suit against Malik and sought an interim relief to temporarily restrain the minister from making any statements against the family till the pendency of the case.