What Delhi High Court Told Sameer Wankhede On ""Ba***ds Of Bollywood" Defamation Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday questioned IRS officer Sameer Wankhede over the maintainability of his defamation plea against actor Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix for allegedly maligning his reputation in their web series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'.

Mr Wankhede's plea sought a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration and damages against the Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix and others, for what he alleged was "false, malicious and defamatory video" of the production house and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series, which is directed by Mr Khan's son, Aryan Khan.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked Mr Wankhede how his plea was maintainable in Delhi and whether the cause of action arose in the national capital.

"It is seen by viewers in Delhi. Insofar as the web series is published for viewing in Delhi, I am defamed," Mr Wankhede's lawyer Sandeep Sethi told the court.

The court then asked Mr Wankhede to amend his plea to show that a cause of action was made out in Delhi.

The former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director sought Rs 2 crore in damages, which he wanted to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

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

It claimed that the series depicts a character making an obscene gesture, specifically, showing a middle finger after the character recites the slogan "Satyamev Jayate", which is part of the National Emblem.

This act constitutes a grave and sensitive violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences under law, it said.

The plea said the content of the series is in contravention of various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it seeks to outrage national sentiment through the use of obscene and offensive material.