Sameer Wankhade says ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ defamatory, moves Delhi HC

IRS officer and former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede on Thursday filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against actor Shahrukh Khan and Gauri Khan owned Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix for allegedly maligning his reputation in their series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’.

Wankhade’s plea has sought permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration and damages against the Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix and others, for what he alleges is “false, malicious and defamatory video” of the production house and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series.

Relief sought

Wankhade sought Rs 2 crore in damages which he wants to be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

“This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions,” advocate Aditya Giri, one of the lawyers representing Wankhade, claimed.

Context of the dispute

The plea said the series has been deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Wankhede’s reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner, especially when the case involving the officer and Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan is pending and sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

Allegations against the series

It claimed that the series depicts a character making an obscene gesture—specifically, showing a middle finger after the character recites the slogan “Satyamev Jayate”, which is the part of the National Emblem.

This act constitutes a grave and sensitive violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences under law, it said.

The plea said the content of the series is in contravention of various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it seeks to outrage national sentiment through the use of obscene and offensive material.