The Delhi High Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict today, January 29, 2026, in the defamation case filed by Sameer Wankhede, a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director, against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment, the production house of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, regarding the web series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood". Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav will pronounce the judgment at 10:30 a.m.
Wankhede's suit alleges that the series, directed by Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan's son, contains defamatory content that harms his reputation and undermines public trust in anti-drug enforcement agencies. Wankhede specifically objects to Episode 1 of the series, where a character is portrayed in a manner that he claims closely resembles him in appearance, conduct, and mannerisms. He also raised concerns about a scene where the slogan "Satyamev Jayate" is followed by an obscene gesture, which he argues insults the national emblem and violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Aryan Khan was arrested by Wankhede in October 2021 during an NCB raid on a cruise ship in Mumbai. Although Khan and five others were later exonerated by the agency in 2022, Wankhede came under scrutiny himself for allegedly demanding a ₹25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan in exchange for not implicating Aryan in the case. Wankhede's tenure with the NCB ended in 2022, and he was subsequently sent back to his parent organization, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
In his plea, Wankhede has sought a permanent and mandatory injunction against Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, seeking the removal of the allegedly defamatory content. He is also seeking ₹2 crore in damages, which he intends to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix have opposed the plea, arguing that the Delhi High Court lacks the territorial jurisdiction to hear the matter, as Wankhede's residence and Red Chillies' registered office are both located in Mumbai. They contend that the suit should have been filed in Mumbai. They further argue that the series is a fictional and satirical work that does not recreate the Cordelia cruise raid and that merely because the series is directed. The defendants also stated that the series is a satire and not about any real-life raid involving Aryan Khan, so Delhi courts shouldn't handle it.
The Delhi High Court had previously questioned the maintainability of the suit, with Justice Kaurav asking Wankhede's lawyer to justify why the case should be heard in Delhi. Wankhede's lawyer argued that the series has been viewed by audiences in Delhi, and various posts and reactions targeting Wankhede have emerged from individuals in Delhi. The court had allowed Wankhede to amend the suit to properly make the averments as to how the civil suit would lie in Delhi.
The outcome of this case could have implications for the portrayal of public figures in fictional works and the extent to which such portrayals can be considered defamatory. The court will rule on whether the series is defamatory and if Wankhede's plea is maintainable.
