Wankhede family was Muslim: Sameer’s ex-in-law

Mumbai:  The Wankhede family was Muslim, performed ‘namaz’ and ‘Ramadan fasts’ and were known to the family of Sameer’s former wife Dr. Shabana Quraishi almost four years before marriage, revealed the latter’s father Dr. Zahid Quraishi, here on Thursday.
Speaking to hordes of mediapersons, Dr. Quraishi — the ex-father-in-law of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede — said that the two families had “excellent relations” prior to his (Sameer’s) wedding with his daughter.
“The marriage took place before they were Muslims… Otherwise it would not have materialised… They were good Muslims, performing ‘namaz’ and ‘Ramadan rozas’ also,” Dr. Quraishi asserted, dropping a bombshell.
Dr. Shabana Quraishi was acquainted with Sameer Wankhede over three years before their engagement and got married some 10 months post-betrothal, and later they had a child out of the wedlock.
The new disclosures come a day after the Wankhede family members vehemently denied that they were Muslims and asserted that they were Hindus.
In a climbdown of sorts following the furore, Sameer Wankhede’s father Dynaneshwar Wankhede said that his late wife addressed him by a pet name of ‘Dawood’, while his wife Kranti Redkar-Wankhede said he (Sameer) married in a Muslim ceremony as per the desires of his deceased mother.