The Delhi High Court raised questions about the maintainability of a defamation case filed by Indian Revenue Service officer and former NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede against The Bads of Bollywood, a Netflix series directed by Aryan Khan and produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
Wankhede has sought a declaration that the series is defamatory, alongside damages of ₹2 crore, which he pledged to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients. He argues that the show maligns his reputation and undermines the credibility of anti-drug enforcement agencies.
During the hearing, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked how the case could be maintained in Delhi, questioning whether any part of the cause of action arose in the capital. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, countered that since the series is available for nationwide streaming, including in Delhi, the officer’s reputation has been harmed within the jurisdiction.
The court, however, directed Wankhede to amend his petition to clearly demonstrate how a valid cause of action arose in Delhi.
Wankhede was at the center of the high-profile 2021 cruise ship drug raid, which led to the arrest of Aryan Khan. Although Aryan was later exonerated in 2022 after the Narcotics Control Bureau concluded no drugs were found on him, Wankhede has maintained that the Netflix series portrays him in a false and negative light.
His petition states that the show presents a “misleading and damaging portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.” He further alleged that the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede’s reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner.”
The plea also draws attention to a scene in which a character raises a middle finger after reciting “Satyamev Jayate,” part of India’s national emblem. Wankhede contended that this act violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and warrants penal action.
Additionally, the officer claimed that the series contravenes provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita by using obscene and offensive material that could outrage national sentiment.
The matter is expected to be taken up again after Wankhede files an amended petition clarifying the jurisdictional grounds for his defamation suit.
