Delhi High Court Issues Summons to Red Chillies, Netflix, and Tech Giants Over Sameer Wankhede’s Defamation Suit
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons to Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, Google, X Corp, and Meta in response to a defamation suit filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede. The officer sought ₹2 crore in damages and an injunction against the streaming of The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, Aryan Khan’s Netflix directorial debut, claiming it contains defamatory scenes resembling him. However, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav declined to grant an immediate injunction, directing the respondents to file their replies before the next hearing on October 30.
Wankhede, who served as Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) during the 2021 arrest of Aryan Khan in a Mumbai drug case, alleged that the series features a character modeled on him, crafted with “malicious intent” to ridicule and defame him. The petition claims the portrayal is a deliberate attempt to damage his personal and professional reputation, linking the character’s speech and behavior to his real-life persona.
In his plea, Wankhede argued that the show not only targets him but also misrepresents India’s anti-drug enforcement agencies, potentially undermining public faith in law enforcement. He has also sought an injunction against unidentified individuals who may circulate related defamatory content on social media, adding that he has received intimidating messages since the show’s release.
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