The Delhi High Court on Friday heard the defamation suit filed by IRS officer and former NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede against Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment (owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan), and others over the series Ba***ds of Bollywood which marked the directorial debut of Khan`s son Aryan. The matter came up before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi appeared for Wankhede, while Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi represented Netflix and Red Chillies.
All about the hearing
The hearing began with Justice Kaurav asking Wankhede`s counsel why the suit was filed in the national capital. Sethi argued that since the series was meant for audiences across cities, including Delhi, and memes targeting Wankhede were also circulating in the Capital, jurisdiction was made out.
However, the court was not pleased with the response and said, “Your plaint is not maintainable. I am rejecting your plaint. Had your case been that you were defamed at various places, including Delhi, and that maximum damage occurred here, we would have still considered it”.
Citing Section 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), the Court pointed out that the plaint had not properly set out how the civil suit would lie in Delhi, particularly in paragraphs 37 and 38. On Sethi`s request for time to amend the plaint, the judge clarified, “I am not giving any date. The Registry will give the date once the application is listed.” The hearing then concluded.
Wankhede sues Aryan Khan and Shah Rukh Khan for defamation
Sameer has allegedly called Aryan`s show `false, malicious, and defamatory.` He further claimed that the series “disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”
In the plea filed, Wankhede claimed that the series has been “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede’s reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner.”
Wankhede has claimed damages worth Rs 2 crore, which he has proposed to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.
The controversial Ba***ds of Bollywood scene
The scene in contention includes a loud officer stepping out of a police jeep at a party. He can be seen ranting about a `war against drugs` and claiming the entire film industry is influenced by substance abuse. He introduces himself as part of the ‘war against drugs’ and ‘NCG,’ as he arrives dressed in a white shirt, dark pants, and short hair bearing a striking resemblance to Wankhede.
The officer first spots a man smoking a joint. However, he gets irritated upon learning that he isn’t from Bollywood before letting him go. He then notices a man drinking next to him and nabs him, although he is not indulging in drugs, merely because he is from Bollywood.
