The Delhi High Court has raised questions over the maintainability of former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede’s defamation plea against the Netflix series The Bads of Bollywood, directed by Aryan Khan and backed by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.
Wankhede has alleged that the series portrays a character resembling him in a negative light, thereby damaging his reputation. He particularly objected to a scene where a character raises a middle finger after uttering “Satyamev Jayate,” calling it offensive and defamatory.
During Friday’s hearing, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked Wankhede’s legal team to clarify how the cause of action arises in Delhi, pointing out doubts about whether the suit can be pursued in the Delhi High Court.
Wankhede’s lawyer argued that since the series is streamed nationwide, including in Delhi, the defamation claim is valid in the capital. However, the court directed him to amend the petition to show a clear link to Delhi’s jurisdiction.
The former officer has sought a permanent injunction, a declaration that the show is defamatory, and ₹2 crore in damages, which he says he will donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
The matter will proceed once the amended petition is filed.
