Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, a key figure in the arrest of Aryan Khan in the 2021 Mumbai drug case, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others. Wankhede alleges that Aryan Khan’s upcoming directorial project, “The Ba*ds of Bollywood,” presents him in a false and malicious light, prompting his legal action.
The lawsuit, filed in the Delhi High Court, seeks damages amounting to ₹2 crore, which Wankhede plans to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital if awarded. Wankhede claims that the series was crafted to tarnish his reputation, especially since legal proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan are ongoing in the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
Of particular concern in the petition is a scene from the series’ premiere episode, where a narcotics officer conducts a raid at a Bollywood party and utters “Satyamev Jayate,” followed by an inappropriate gesture by a character. Wankhede deems this portrayal defamatory and a breach of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Wankhede has expressed worry that the series misrepresents anti-drug enforcement agencies, potentially undermining public confidence in law enforcement bodies. The Delhi High Court will now evaluate the case.