Delhi HC snubs Sameer Wankhede’s defamation plea over Aryan Khan's Netflix series

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav returned the plaint, granting Wankhede liberty to approach the appropriate court.

“The plaint is returned to the plaintiff to approach the court of competent jurisdiction. Application of any stands dismissed,” the judge was quoted as saying by Live Law.

Wankhede had sought damages of ₹2 crore, stating that the amount would be donated to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer treatment. He had also sought a permanent and mandatory injunction against the series titled The Ba**ds of Bollywood.

What the series shows

The first episode of the Netflix series features a character said to be modelled on Wankhede, depicted arriving at a Bollywood party to search for celebrities allegedly consuming drugs. The scene includes the character making an obscene gesture after reciting “Satyamev Jayate,” which drew sharp criticism.

Wankhede argued that the portrayal violated the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and contravened provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Calling the show “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign,” Wankhede contended that the depiction was particularly prejudicial as proceedings related to the Aryan Khan case are still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

Background

Wankhede rose to national prominence in October 2021 when he led the Narcotics Control Bureau’s high-profile raid on a Mumbai cruise ship, resulting in the arrest of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, along with others.
Aryan Khan spent 25 days in judicial custody before being granted bail.

The Netflix series, which premiered on September 18, has since sparked widespread debate on social media, with viewers drawing parallels between its characters and real-life figures linked to the case.