NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC has sought responses from actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming platform Netflix in a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede.
Wankhede alleged that their series ‘The Bads of Bollywood’ tarnished his image. Wankhede, who came into public attention during the 2021 drug case involving Khan’s son Aryan, has demanded Rs 2 crore in damages, which he has requested to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notices to Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix, X Corp, Google LLC, Meta Platforms, RPSG Lifestyle Media Private Limited, and John Doe. The defendants have been asked to file their replies within seven days.
The matter will be heard next on October 30. While the court refrained from issuing an interim injunction at this stage, it directed the defendants to respond to Wankhede’s application seeking removal of the alleged defamatory material from various online platforms. “Let them take instructions and file a reply. I cannot pass an injunction in general,” the judge said.
The plea contends that the series portrays anti-drug enforcement agencies in a misleading and negative light, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions. It further claims that the show was deliberately created to malign Wankhede’s reputation “in a colourable and prejudicial manner,” particularly when the case related to Aryan Khan remains sub judice before the Bombay HC and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
The judge acknowledged Wankhede’s grievance but said the matter must proceed according to due process. “We appreciate that there is a cause in your favour to approach this court, but there is a process to be followed,” Justice Kaurav remarked. Counsel for Netflix opposed the plea.
