Mumbai (TIP)- Former narcotics officer and Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, along with Netflix and other associated parties.
The suit seeks a permanent and mandatory injunction, a declaration, and damages, citing what Wankhede describes as a “false, malicious, and defamatory” portrayal in the Netflix series Ba**ds of Bollywood*.
According to the petition, the series, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and streamed on Netflix, presents a distorted and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies. Wankhede contends that this depiction has the potential to erode public trust in law enforcement institutions.
Wankhede, who previously led high-profile narcotics investigations, including the one involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, claims the series was deliberately conceptualised and produced to malign both his personal and professional reputation. “The portrayal is both prejudicial and irresponsible,” he asserts, noting that the legal case concerning him and Aryan Khan is still pending before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
The petition also highlights a scene in which a character makes an obscene gesture, raising the middle finger, immediately after uttering the national slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which forms part of India’s National Emblem. Wankhede contends, “This act constitutes a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and is punishable under Indian law.”
Additionally, Wankhede alleges that the content violates several provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), arguing that the series contains obscene and offensive material designed to provoke and outrage national sentiment.
This legal action comes amid ongoing debates about the depiction of real-life figures and institutions in dramatized streaming content, raising questions about artistic freedom versus defamation and public responsibility.