The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a defamation suit filed by Sameer Wankhede, former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director, against the Netflix series The Ba*ds of Bollywood, directed by Aryan Khan. Wankhede claimed the series defamed him and sought a permanent injunction against the show, a declaration that it is defamatory, and ₹2 crore in damages. He intended to donate the damages to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav questioned the maintainability of the case in Delhi, asking whether the cause of action arose within the court's jurisdiction. Wankhede's lawyer, Sandeep Sethi, argued that the series was viewed in Delhi, thus constituting defamation within the city. However, the court ruled the complaint was not maintainable and rejected the plaint. The court did allow Wankhede's counsel to amend the petition.

Wankhede's suit was filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others, alleging the series contained a "false, malicious and defamatory" portrayal of him. He claimed the series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, eroding public confidence in law enforcement. Wankhede argued the show was deliberately conceptualized to malign his reputation.

Specifically, Wankhede objected to a scene where a character makes an obscene gesture while reciting "Satyamev Jayate," which is part of the National Emblem. He contended this violated the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, as well as provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The series The Ba*ds of Bollywood, marks Aryan Khan's directorial debut and is produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. Wankhede, who arrested Aryan Khan in the 2021 Cordelia cruise case, claimed the series character was modeled after him, with facial and physical resemblances, similar actions, speech, and mannerisms. He also noted the character arrests an influential individual associated with the movie industry.

In 2021, Wankhede led an NCB team that arrested Aryan Khan during a raid on a cruise ship. The agency claimed to have recovered narcotic substances. However, in May 2022, the NCB cleared Khan of all charges due to a lack of corroborative evidence. Subsequently, Wankhede was transferred to the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services in Chennai, and a Special Investigation Team was formed to investigate allegations of impropriety against NCB officers in the case.