HC Summons to Netflix in Wankhede’s Case Against Aryan Khan Show

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons to Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, Google, X Corp and Meta and sought their responses to a defamation suit filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede seeking an injunction and takedown of scenes portraying him in the Aryan Khan-directed Netflix show 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'.

 

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued summons to the defendants and sought their responses. "Let them take instructions and file a reply. Cannot pass an injunction order in general," the Court said.

 

The matter will be heard next on October 30.

 

In the year 2021, Wankhede, the Zonal Director of Narcotics Control Bureau, had arrested Aryan Khan son of Bollywood actor Shah rukh Khan, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at a drug raid in Mumbai. 

 

Wankhede has sought damages of ₹2 crore against the show's producer Red Chillies Entertainment - owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan, Netflix, 'X' Corp, Google, Meta and a media outlet RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt. Ltd.

 

As per the suit, there is a scene in the web series involving a man bearing his resemblance and the scene "targets and ridicules" him.

 

Wankhede has sought takedown of the defamatory content and injunction to restrain the parties making, publishing, disseminating any further defamatory statements regarding him.

 

He has also sought injunction against John Doe (unknown defendants) creators, presenters, publishers creating related content on the social media platforms. 

 

The ex-Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer said that his portrayal in the series was false, malicious and defamatory.

 

According to his suit, "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."

 

As per the plea, the series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

 

 

The series is deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Wankhede’s reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner, especially when the case involving him and Aryan Khan is pending and sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and Special NDPS Court in Mumbai, Wankhede told the Court.

 

He further claimed that he has been receiving “intimidatory messages” from unknown individuals on his social media accounts.

 

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