Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against actor Shah Rukh Khan, his company Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix.
The case concerns Wankhede’s portrayal in the recently released web series *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*.
Wankhede is seeking Rs 2 crore in damages from Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment. He has stated that the amount will be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.
A statement from Wankhede read, “Sameer Wankhede, IRS Officer, has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court seeking reliefs in the nature of permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the OTT platform, Netflix and others, having been aggrieved by a false, malicious, and defamatory video produced by Red Chillies and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series titled The Ba***ds of Bollywood.”
“This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions,” the statement added.
The show, which began streaming on Netflix on September 18, has sparked debate on social media. In the first episode, a character resembling Wankhede is shown arriving at a Bollywood party looking for people “who are doing drugs.”
The series also depicts a character making an obscene gesture — specifically, showing a middle finger — after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate.” Wankhede said this scene violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. He added that the content contravenes provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to Wankhede, the show has been “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner.” He further pointed out that the case involving him and Aryan Khan is “pending and sub-judice before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai.”
On October 3, 2021, Aryan Khan, along with Ayaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, was arrested by the NCB on charges of drug possession, consumption, and sale. Their arrest followed a raid on a cruise ship in which banned substances were allegedly seized.
The investigation was led by Wankhede, who came into the spotlight after Aryan’s arrest. Aryan Khan spent 25 days in jail before being granted bail. In May 2022, all charges against him were dropped. Wankhede was later removed from the case after being accused of blackmail.