Court questions the maintainability of Wankhede’s defamation petition over Aryan Khan’s upcoming show.
New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court on Friday raised questions over a defamation petition filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede. The petition was submitted against superstar Shah Rukh Khan, his wife Gauri Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix. Wankhede alleged that their Netflix series, The Ba*ds of Bollywood, had damaged his reputation.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned Wankhede’s counsel on how the defamation plea was maintainable in Delhi. The court remarked, “Your plaint is not maintainable here in Delhi. I am dismissing it. If you had argued that the defamation occurred in multiple places, including Delhi, and that the maximum damage was caused here, we might have considered hearing the case.”
However, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, argued that the web series is streamed across the country, including in Delhi, and has caused defamation there as well. He stated, “Since the series is available to viewers in Delhi, my client’s reputation has been damaged here too.”
In his petition, Sameer Wankhede sought a permanent injunction, a declaration, and damages of ₹2 crore against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others, which he said he would donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. He claimed that the series portrays anti-drug enforcement agencies in a misleading and negative manner, eroding public trust.
What were Sameer Wankhede’s allegations?
According to the petition, the series was intentionally conceptualised and produced to malign Wankhede’s reputation in a prejudiced way, particularly while his case involving Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
The petition also points out that the series features a scene where a character makes an obscene gesture — showing a middle finger — after chanting “Satyamev Jayate,” a phrase from India’s National Emblem. This, Wankhede argued, is a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and is punishable under the law.
Other parties named in the case
The petition further alleges that the show violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code. The defendants named in the lawsuit include Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt. Ltd., and unidentified parties listed as ‘John Doe.’
Gaurav Chaudhary 
Harsh Kumar