The Delhi High Court has granted former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede the green light to file a defamation lawsuit in Mumbai against a Netflix series linked to the Aryan Khan case. Previously, a Delhi court had rejected his request, citing a lack of territorial jurisdiction.
The matter was presented before Justice Vikas Mahajan, who approved Wankhede’s application to present his complaint in a Mumbai court. The court has scheduled a hearing for February 12, the proposed date for instituting the suit.
Justice Mahajan stated, “The application is allowed. Let the parties appear before the City Civil and Sessions Court, Dindoshi, Malad in Mumbai on February 12 when he [Wankhede] intends to file the plaint.”
During the hearing, Wankhede’s lawyer referenced an earlier order from Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, which allowed Wankhede to seek out the proper forum following the return of his complaint under the Civil Procedure Code. Acting on this, Wankhede filed an application for the case’s transfer to Mumbai.
The court noted that the procedural requirements had been satisfied and officially cleared the path for the suit to proceed in the City Civil Court.
Background of the Lawsuit
In 2021, Wankhede, then Zonal Director of the NCB, arrested Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) during a drug raid in Mumbai. Aryan was later exonerated.
Recently, Wankhede approached the Delhi High Court, alleging that a character in Episode 1 of Netflix’s series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Aryan Khan, portrayed him in a defamatory manner. The series is associated with the events surrounding the Aryan Khan drug case.
Wankhede argued that certain scenes should be removed or restrained, claiming that the character’s appearance and behavior closely resembled his own and had been widely recognized in media coverage.
The defendants countered with a preliminary objection regarding jurisdiction, claiming the suit should be filed in Mumbai, where Wankhede lives and where Red Chillies Entertainment is registered. They contended that the series is fictional and satirical and does not depict the Cordelia cruise raid.
Accepting these arguments, Justice Kaurav previously ruled that the Delhi High Court lacked the authority to hear the case, returning the plaint. With the recent order, that decision has been formally enacted, allowing Wankhede to pursue his legal challenge in Mumbai.
(With inputs from ANI)