'Ba***ds of Bollywood' row: HC questions maintainability of Sameer Wankhede's plea; asks how defamation suit can proceed in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday raised questions about the maintainability of IRS officer and former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede’s defamation suit against Shahrukh Khan, his wife Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix, alleging that their series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’* harmed his reputation.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned Wankhede’s counsel on how the defamation plea could be maintained in Delhi.

Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, argued that the web series is streamed across multiple cities, including Delhi, and that the officer has been defamed here. He added that the plaint would be amended accordingly.

The court granted him time to file an amended application after which it would hear the matter.

Wankhede’s plea seeks a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Netflix, and others, alleging that the web series contains a “false, malicious, and defamatory” portrayal of him broadcast by Netflix.

Wankhede sought Rs 2 crore in damages which he wants to to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

"This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions," the plea said.

The plea alleges that the series was deliberately conceptualised and produced to tarnish Wankhede’s reputation in a prejudicial and misleading manner, particularly while the case involving him and Shahrukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, remains sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

(With agencies inputs)