New Delhi: In a major setback for Sameer Wankhede, the Delhi High Court on Friday questioned the maintainability of a defamation suit filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer against the Netflix series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'. The series was directed by Aryan Khan and produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
Wankhede's plea was heard by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. The judge questioned the IRS officer how his case was maintainable in Delhi or any part of the cause of action arose in the union territory.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, told the court that the web series was viewed across cities in the country, including Delhi. The court asked Wankhede to amend the plea and show exactly how the exact cause of action took place in Delhi.
In the plea, Wankhede sought directions from the Delhi HC against the series. The IRS officer has demanded a declaration from the makers of the web series that it is defamatory and damages of Rs 2 crore, reported The Hindu. Wankhede has reportedly pledged to donate the money to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
For the unversed, Wankhede headed the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) 2021 cruise ship raid in which Aryan khan, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's son, was arrested arrested. In the plea, Wankhede also claimed that the series maligns him and also discredits anti-drug enforcement agencies.
In The Ba***ds of Bollywood, there is a scene, where an officer comes to a party and sees a guy smoking a joint. However, when he comes to know that the guy is not from Bollywood, he gets irritated. Later, the same officer sees another guy who is just standing there and drinking, but not involved in drugs. However, the officer arrested him because he is from Bollywood.
After the release of the web series earlier this month, the scene went viral on social media.
