The Delhi High Court on Thursday (January 29) dismissed a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede against the Netflix series Ba***ds of Bollywood, directed by Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, citing lack of jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.
According to a report in Bar And Bench, a single-judge bench led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled that the High Court was not the appropriate forum to hear the case and granted Wankhede the liberty to approach a court of competent jurisdiction.
Returning the plaint, the court also stated that it lacked the authority to entertain the suit. “This Court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the plaint. The plaint is returned to the plaintiff to approach the Court of competent jurisdiction. Application, if any, stands dismissed,” the order read.
Wankhede had approached the High Court alleging that certain scenes in the Netflix show were designed to mock and defame him. In his plea, he claimed that a character in the series bore a resemblance to him and that the portrayal was intended to ridicule his public image.
Seeking legal remedy, Wankhede demanded Rs 2 crore in damages from the show’s producer, Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, along with Netflix. He also sought directions for the removal of the allegedly defamatory content and an injunction restraining the publication or circulation of any further material concerning him.
The court had earlier issued notices to Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, Google, X Corp, and Meta, calling for their responses to the allegations.
In its written submission, Red Chillies Entertainment argued that the officer’s reputation had already been the subject of public scrutiny and criticism well before the release of the series. The production house also referred to proceedings initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Wankhede in connection with allegations of criminal conspiracy and extortion under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Additionally, Red Chillies maintained that Ba***ds of Bollywood was a work of satire and parody, which is a legally protected form of expression and does not amount to defamation.
Wankhede had gained national attention in 2021 as the then Mumbai Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, after the arrest of Aryan in a high-profile drug raid case. He was later cleared of all charges.
