Delhi High Court Examines Wankhede’s Defamation Plea
The Delhi High Court on Friday raised key questions over the maintainability of a defamation plea filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede against actor Shah Rukh Khan’s production company Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming giant Netflix. The case pertains to the web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede alleges has been deliberately conceptualised to malign his reputation, particularly in connection with the high-profile Aryan Khan drug case.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, hearing the matter, asked Wankhede to establish how his plea was maintainable in the capital and whether a cause of action had arisen in Delhi. The court directed Wankhede to amend his petition accordingly, to clearly demonstrate how the series caused reputational harm within the jurisdiction.
Arguments on Cause of Action in Delhi
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, argued that the web series is accessible to viewers in Delhi, which is sufficient to establish jurisdiction. He said that since the defamatory content is being streamed and consumed in the national capital, the officer’s reputation is directly affected in the city.
Justice Kaurav, however, maintained that the plea needed specific amendments to explicitly show how the cause of action arose in Delhi. Without such details, the petition could face procedural challenges. The court has allowed Wankhede time to make the necessary changes before proceeding further.
Reliefs Sought by Wankhede
Wankhede, the former Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), sought multiple reliefs in his plea. These include a permanent and mandatory injunction to restrain Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix from streaming or publishing the allegedly defamatory content. He has also asked for a declaration that the content is false and malicious, in addition to Rs 2 crore in damages.
Interestingly, the officer clarified that the damages would not be retained for personal benefit but donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients. This, he argued, demonstrates the sincerity of his claim and the seriousness of the harm caused to his reputation.
No relief for Sameer Wankhede from Delhi High Court today in defamation case against Aryan Khan's Netflix show 'The Bads of Bollywood'.
The court expresses a prima facie opinion that the suit is not maintainable; asks Wankhede to amend his suit.#DelhiHighCourt #AryanKhan… pic.twitter.com/GAY0nfZk8t
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) September 26, 2025
Allegations of Malicious Intent
According to the petition, the series was deliberately conceptualised and executed with an agenda to tarnish Wankhede’s image. The timing of the series’ release, while court proceedings in the Aryan Khan case remain pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai, was highlighted as an aggravating factor.
The plea stated that the series portrays a character who recites the slogan Satyamev Jayate—a phrase inscribed in the National Emblem—before making an obscene gesture by showing the middle finger. Wankhede’s legal team argued that this depiction was not only defamatory but also offensive to national sentiment.
Potential Legal Violations Cited
The petition further claimed that the web series violates multiple legal provisions. It cited the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which penalises acts of dishonour towards national symbols. It also referred to sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alleging that the content was designed to outrage public sentiment through obscene and offensive depictions.
Wankhede’s counsel stressed that the series, by embedding such gestures and narratives, sought to colour public perception against him in a prejudicial manner.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy stems from Wankhede’s role in the high-profile 2021 drug case involving Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s son. Aryan was arrested by the NCB but later released after investigations, with the case drawing nationwide attention. Wankhede faced allegations of misconduct and extortion during the probe, which he has consistently denied.
The series The Ba**ds of Bollywood* appears to draw inspiration from this episode, with Wankhede contending that the portrayal damages his public image while the matter is still sub judice.
Court’s Next Steps
While the Delhi High Court has not dismissed Wankhede’s plea, it has insisted that the petition must be amended to address jurisdictional concerns. The matter will be heard further once the corrections are filed.
The case underscores the growing legal challenges faced by OTT platforms and production houses, where questions of free expression, reputational harm, and jurisdiction frequently collide. For Wankhede, the outcome could significantly impact not only his personal reputation but also the wider debate on the limits of artistic liberty in digital storytelling.
