The Delhi High Court has raised concerns regarding the maintainability of a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede against Shahrukh Khan, Gauri Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix, concerning their web series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned Wankhede's lawyer on what grounds the plea could be maintained in Delhi. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, argued that the web series is accessible across various cities, including Delhi, and that the officer's reputation has been tarnished there. Sethi indicated that he would amend the plaint accordingly. The court has granted time for Wankhede to file an amended application, after which it will further consider the matter.

Wankhede's plea seeks a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others. He alleges that the web series contains a "false, malicious, and defamatory" portrayal of him. Wankhede is seeking Rs 2 crore in damages, which he intends to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

The plea asserts that the series disseminates a misleading and negative image of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions. It further alleges that the series was deliberately conceptualized and produced to tarnish Wankhede's reputation in a prejudicial and misleading manner. This is particularly contentious as the case involving Wankhede and Shahrukh Khan's son, Aryan Khan, remains sub judice before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.