PTB Big News New Delhi : Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede has moved the Delhi High Court, filing a defamation suit against production house Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan, global streaming platform Netflix, and other associated parties.
The suit concerns the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which Wankhede alleges contains “false, malicious, and defamatory” content aimed at tarnishing his image and undermining public faith in law enforcement agencies. Seeking a permanent and mandatory request, a declaration, and damages of Rs 2 crore, Wankhede has further stated that the damages, if awarded, would be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.
As per his plea, the series, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and streamed on Netflix, portrays anti-drug enforcement authorities in a twisted and one-sided way. Wankhede alleges this representation has the potential to displace public trust in institutions that work towards curbing crimes relating to narcotics.
History Between Aryan Khan and Wankhede :–
The ex-NCB officer, who emerged into the national limelight for spearheading a number of high-profile narcotics probes, including that of Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in 2021, has accused the series of being willfully planned to defame his personal and professional life. He also stated that the legal case against him and Aryan Khan is still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai, which renders the depiction pre-judgmental and irresponsible.
Wankhede also objected in his petition to a specific scene where a character is seen raising a middle finger just after reciting the national motto “Satyamev Jayate,” which is part of India’s National Emblem. He argues that this representation is an insult to the country and is against the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which imposes punishment upon such actions.
Moreover, Wankhede contended that the series is violative of provisions contained in the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), considering the purportedly obscene and abusive nature of its content intended to incite and inflame national sentiment.
The case is currently before the Delhi High Court, where Wankhede seeks judicial intervention to restrain the producers and platform from further streaming or marketing the offending content. The Delhi High Court has yet to hear the case.
