The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain IRS officer Sameer Wankhede’s lawsuit targeting the controversial web series ‘The Bad Boys of Bollywood’ produced by Shahrukh Khan’s banner and streamed on Netflix. In a swift order, Justice Purushendra Kaurav directed the plaint to be returned to the filer for presentation before the competent court.
Central to Wankhede’s grievance is the series’ alleged malicious portrayal of his tenure as NCB zonal director, which he says not only humiliated him personally but also maligned his family and the agency’s credibility. The former Mumbai top cop accused the makers of injecting biased, derogatory content that undermines faith in government institutions.
Among the reliefs demanded were a blanket ban on the series, removal of offending content from digital platforms, and Rs 2 crore in damages earmarked for cancer care at Tata Memorial Hospital. The petition named heavyweights like Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, social media giants, and search engines as defendants.
A contentious clip cited involves a character invoking the patriotic slogan ‘Satyamev Jayate’ before making a vulgar gesture, branded by Wankhede as a criminal affront to national symbols under Indian law. With his Aryan Khan-related cases still sub-judice in other courts, this setback forces Wankhede to restart the process in a lower court.
The court’s verdict, delivered after detailed submissions, highlights procedural rigor in entertainment defamation battles. As the case moves to its rightful venue, it reignites debates on creative freedoms versus personal honor in India’s booming OTT space.
