Delhi HC summons Red Chillies in Sameer Wankhede defamation suit over Aryan Khan’s ‘Ba**ds of Bollywood’

Sameer Wankhede came under scrutiny from multiple agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in July 2023

IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against actor Shah Rukh Khan, his wife Gauri Khan (who owns Red Chillies Entertainment), and Netflix. Wankhede alleges that the recently released docuseries, “Bads of Bollywood,” which is directed by Shah Rukh’s son, Aryan Khan, has deliberately damaged his reputation. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has issued notices and summons to all the defendants—which also include social media companies like X Corp (Twitter), Google, and Meta Platforms—and ordered them to file their responses within seven days.

Wankhede’s main allegation is that the docuseries was deliberately created and executed to malign his reputation in a prejudiced manner. This is particularly significant, he argues, because the case involving him and Aryan Khan is still pending in the Bombay High Court. Furthermore, he claims that the series “disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies,” which ultimately damages the public’s trust in law enforcement institutions.

The officer is seeking substantial relief, demanding ₹2 crore in damages. Wankhede has publicly stated that if he is awarded the damages, he will donate the entire sum to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to benefit cancer patients.

While the court has not yet passed any temporary order to stop the series or remove its content (interim injunction), it has asked all the defendants to file their replies to Wankhede’s application, which specifically seeks to remove the alleged defamatory content from several websites. The Delhi High Court has listed the matter for its next hearing on October 30.