Today, On 8th October, The Delhi High Court has issued summons to Red Chillies and Netflix in Sameer Wankhede’s defamation case over Aryan Khan’s web series. The suit alleges a scene “targets and ridicules” Wankhede, prompting legal action against the makers.
The Delhi High Court summoned Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, Google, X Corp, and Meta in response to a defamation lawsuit filed by Sameer Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
Wankhede is seeking an injunction and the removal of scenes depicting him in the Netflix series “The Ba***ds of Bollywood,” directed by Aryan Khan.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued the summons and requested that the defendants provide their responses.
The Court remarked,
“Let them take instructions and file a reply. Cannot pass an injunction order in general,”
The case is scheduled for a hearing on October 30. In 2021, Wankhede, then the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, arrested Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, during a drug raid in Mumbai.
Wankhede is seeking Rs.2 crore in damages from Red Chillies Entertainment, which is owned by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan, along with Netflix, X Corp, Google, Meta, and media outlet RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt. Ltd.
According to the lawsuit, a scene in the web series features a character resembling Wankhede, which he claims “targets and ridicules” him.
He is requesting the removal of the allegedly defamatory content and an injunction to prevent the defendants from making or disseminating any further defamatory statements about him.
Additionally, he seeks an injunction against John Doe (unknown defendants) who may create related content on social media platforms.
The former Narcotics Control Bureau officer asserts that his depiction in the series is false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation.
His suit states,
“The Defendant No. 1 has purposefully and intentionally crafted a character in defamatory content with the sole intent to connect with the plaintiff, making the character’s actions, speech, and traits strikingly similar to those of the plaintiff. Clearly therefore, this was a conscious and intentional attempt to portray the plaintiff in a negative light, camouflaging their malicious intentions by creating a character that mimics the plaintiff’s persona.”
Wankhede claims the series presents a misleading and negative image of anti-drug enforcement agencies, undermining public trust in law enforcement.
He contends that the series was intentionally designed to tarnish his reputation, particularly while the case involving him and Aryan Khan is still pending in the Bombay High Court and Special NDPS Court in Mumbai.
He also reported receiving “intimidatory messages” from unknown individuals on his social media accounts.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi represented Wankhede, while Senior Advocate Shyel Trehan, along with a team of advocates, represented Red Chillies. Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar and Advocate Saikrishna Rajagopal appeared for Netflix.
Case Title: Sameer Dnyandev Wankhede Vs. Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt. Ltd. & Ors.
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