Delhi HC summons Red Chillies, Netflix over Sameer Wankhede defamation case in The Ba***ds of Bollywood

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, issued notices to Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others in a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede against the makers of the series Ba**ds of Bollywood*. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav summoned the defendants, which also include X, Google, and Meta Platforms, asking them to file replies within seven days. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 30, 2025.

No interim order was passed on Wankhede’s plea seeking the removal of allegedly defamatory content from multiple websites and social media platforms.

Court Highlights Sensitivity of Allegations

The Judge remarked, “It could have wider ramifications,” while senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, argued that his client is being trolled online due to the series. “The nature of the accusation being made is shocking,” Sethi added. The Court observed, “There is cause in your favour to approach the court, but there are some processes which we need to follow.”

Wankhede, who led the NCB’s 2021 cruise ship drug raid that resulted in Aryan Khan’s arrest, claims the series, directed by Aryan Khan and produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan-owned Red Chillies, wrongly maligns him and discredits anti-drug enforcement agencies. He is seeking ?2 crore in damages and has pledged to donate the amount to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

It could have wider ramifications

- Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav

Alleged Violations and Offensive Content

The plea states, “This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.” Wankhede added, “The series has been deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede’s reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner.”

The lawsuit further points out that a character in the series makes an obscene gesture, showing a middle finger after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” a part of the National Emblem, which Wankhede says violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The plea also claims the content contravenes provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleging the material outrages national sentiment.